Mason- The Phantom Dragon
by Jct1345
Summary: A new dragon slayer, his name Mason. He holds the power of the Phantom Dragon Buruut. Learn how his fairy tail story unfolds.
1. Chapter 1

Fairy Tail is one of my all time favorite franchises, so I felt it was appropriate to finally write a story about it. My name is not Mason (its John for anyone who cares) so this is not me inserting myself into this universe. I just thought that Mason was kind of a Fairy Tail-y name.

"Dialogue"

'Thoughts'

 _Narration_

 **Spells**

Phantom Dragon Slayer: Chapter 1

(Year 777)

 _In a dark cave, on an unknown mountain, was a beast with jet black scales, two muscular wings, and a long whiplike tail, a dragon. This was Buruut the Phantom Dragon, a creature rumored to be the one responsible for carrying mortal souls to the afterlife upon death. His head was shielded by a large bony skull giving him a ghastly appearance. But what's really unusual is that laying on top of the legendary beasts powerful back, was a small boy with red eyes and pure white hair._

"But, why do you have to go?" The boy asked, struggling to keep himself from falling asleep.

"Don't you remember what I always tell you boy?" A booming voice fitting of the phantom dragon answered.

"Nothing in life lasts forever, that's why you must make the most of it while you can." The boy answered solemnly, knowing there was no use arguing with the Dragon.

"I don't want to part with you my son, but it's the will of fate." A large black tail, like a tree trunk in thickness, gently nudged the top of the boys head. "I've done my best to raise you properly, and it's been one of my life's greatest joys but it's my time to leave you, but I will leave you with one final request. Mason Alastor! My son, when you awaken tomorrow I will be gone, but don't think you will be alone. Their are others like you, the children of the Dragons, the Dragon Slayers. You must find the Dragon Slayers."

"Dragon Slayers? But why? Why do you have to leave?" Mason layed down on his belly and using his arms and legs, grabbed the most of the Dragon as he possibly could. "Don't leave! I'm not ready for you to go!" Tears began to form in the child's eyes, but there was nothing he could do at this point.

"Ssshhhhh, my son don't cry. This is how it must be, and you must be strong. This is goodbye, but by no means does it have to be forever, but for now you must **sleep.** " A purple magic circle opened above the boy and his eyes began to get heavier until eventually closing and the world was replaced by blackness.

* * *

(The next morning)

"Whhaaahhhh!" Mason screamed as he woke up to a splash of water washing across his face. He quickly sat up, that's when he learned he was no longer in the cave, but in fact on a beach. "AAAHHHH!" He quickly climbed back to his feet and surveyed the unfamiliar location.

"The beach? How did I get here….. " That's when he noticed something was different. On his back was a black, hooded cloak with a strange magical aura. "Is this a from Buruut, it has a similar smell, that means he must've brought me here." He looked around for any signs of a Dragon, but didn't see anything. "Maybe he hasn't gotten to far. Buruut! Buruut!" He called out to the ocean and to the forest behind him, but was met only be the sound of waves crashing onto the shore. But that wasn't enough to desuade the hopeful boy.

"Buruut! BURUUT! Dad! DAAAAAADDDDD!" He called out for almost 3 minutes, before giving up on that approach. "I know, I'll search the forest. I'm sure I'll pick up on his sent."

The boys feet slowly began to rise into the air as his body became cloaked in a purple light. Now levitating, the boy jetted off to the woods, moving much faster than if he had chosen to go by foot, but he was met at the entrance by two strangers.

"Well, well, well. What do we have here?" A fat man with a strange mask towered over him. On the mask was a symbol looking like a sideways S.

"He looks like a little mage, I think he'd be a strong worker. If not, maybe a good sacrifice. Hehehehe." Another man wearing the same mask let out a gross chuckle.

"Excuse me, but have either of you seen a drag-AHHHH!" Mason tried to speak to the two men, but was met with a staff to the gut. And while the young wizard was down the slim man put a magic cancelling collar around the boy's neck.

"I don't know how good of a worker a weakling like this will be, but we can always use another body." The fat man hoisted an unconciouMason up by his cloak. "Bring him to the tower."

* * *

(The tower of heaven)

"GRRRR! Put me down! I'll blast you to pieces!" A depowered Mason growled at the fat masked man as he struggled and squirmed, desperately tried to free himself.

"Shut it kid! Your whining is getting pretty annoying!" The fat man forcefully shaked the boy up in down as he approached one of the many cages that made up the walls of the tower. "Here we go." The man unlocked the door and prepared to toss the child. "This is your new home you brat! HAHAHA!" With a chilling laugh, the man hurled mason into the dark cage, slamming him against the wall at the back of the cell.

"GGRRRR! I'll get you for this!" Mason charged for the cell bars, and desperately began grabbing and clawing at the fat man who was getting further and further away, laughing the whole time. "GGGGRRRR! Come back here you coward!" Mason was to busy venting, he hadn't realized yet that he wasn't alone.

"H-hey!" A small, weak voice callled out from the corner of the cell. Mason looked over to find his cell mates clustered together shaking in fear. "K-keep your voice down. If you make too much noise the guards will come back, and they'll be angry." The one to speak up was a small boy, his skin was darker than the others but he had light hair that spiked upwards.

There was a whole group of prisoners locked in this tiny cell and most of them were children. Along with the blonde boy was a small girl with bowl haircut, a kid with spiked hair and a very defined chin, a boy with shaggy black hair and narrow eyes, a girl with red hair that reached down to her shoulders, and a blue haired boy with strange red markings around his right eye. Behind all of that was the only adult, a shriveled old man with a long white beard and grown out eyebrows.

"So what?" Mason fired back abrasively. "I don't care if those jerks are mad, I'm not staying in this cell! I have to find my Father! Every second I stay in here is a second that whatever scent he may have left behind begins to fade." The young boys intensity startled the frightened children, but they weren't about to suffer for his misbehavior.

"Hey look!" The boy with the narrow eyes spoke up. "Maybe you don't care what happens to you, but don't drag the rest of us down with you. We don't want to get whipped because you broke the rules, so sit down and shut up."

"Hmmmm….." Mason eventually backed away from the cage and calmed down… Momentarily. The boy lifted his arm straight upwards and pointed his palm towards the cage bars. " **Phantom Dragon Shot!** " A ball of purple energy formed in the boy's hand.

"Woah!" The group of children marveled at the boy's magical prowess.

"That's magic!" The blue haired boy's interest was definitely peaked. "Awesome…"

"It's incredible, he can use magic." The Red haired girl's eyes sparkled. "He's a real Wizard, and he's only our age."

"HAAAAAHHHHHHH!" The boy thrusted his palm forward, but the energy ball faded into smoke. "URRGHHHHH!" Masons eyes went sharp and he glared down at the special collar and began clawing and biting at it. "Stupid Collar!" The boy started rolling around, trying to get the collar of his neck.

Meanwhile the blue haired boy had become the first to work up the courage to approach his new cell mate. "You know magic?"

Mason took time away from clawing at his collar to acknowledge him. "Yeah…" He said with a glare. "But this stupid collar is keeping me from using my really strong magic."

"Oh that's too bad…. But still, it must be pretty cool to use magic right?" The blue haired kid got really excited and started asking a lot of questions, that made Mason socially uncomfortable. "My name is Jellal by the way, nice to meet you." The boy put hand out to the Mason.

"Uh…. Mason…" The boy took Jellal's hand and climbed back to his feet.

"And these are my friends." Jellal dragged the young dragon slayer over to the other children. "This is Millianna and Sho." He gestured to the timid girl and young blonde.

"Uh...hi…" Millianna said shyly as Sho justed nodded along.

"And this is Wally." Jellal pointed to the kid with defined chin.

"Sup!" Wally was a bit more of a extrovert than the other kids and managed to actually greet Mason.

"And those to are Simon and Erza." Jellal pulled Mason over to the boy with the narrow eyes and the Red Haired girl. "And over there is Rob, he's really nice." Jellal pointed at the old man behind the children.

"Umm…. High, I'm Mason." Mason definitely wasn't use to other people. In a moment of shyness, he flipped the black hood up over his head, hiding his face.

"So you're an actual wizard?" The red haired girl krept up to Mason. "Can you use any of your magic."

"Y-Yeah.." Mason quickly shook his head, clearing his nerves and shyness. "But nothing big, I can only use weaker spells. Something like this." Mason through his hands out in front of his body and closed his eyes. In the corner of cell, a small stone about the size of a baseball began to float in the air.

"Oh wow." The Red head Erza marveled at this spell.

"This is nothing." Mason dropped the stone. "If I didn't have this stupid collar around my neck, I could rip those bars off the cell with the same spell." Mason bragged a bit, but he wasn't exaggerating.

"Really?" Erza continued, and at this point Jellal and returned to feed his intrigue. "Where did you learn Magic."

"My dad taught me." Mason replied.

"Oh, so is your dad a wizard too." Jellal asked.

"No, he's a Dragon."

"WHAT?!" Jellal and Erza Jumped at this revelation.

"Ha! Hahahahahaha!" Simon, who had been listening in on the conversation suddenly burst out laughing. "I knew it! You are cray! You do know Dragons don't exist right? Hahaha!"

"Hey! You take that back." Mason was about to charge the other boy, when Rob stood up with a smile on his face.

"So that would make you a Dragon Slayer, would it not?" The old wizard said in a calm tone that helped comfort the boy.

"Yeah, that's right. I'm the Phantom Dragon Slayer, my dad Buruut is the Phantom Dragon." Mason got really excited, finding someone who believed him.

"Rob? Do you think he's telling the truth, was he really raised by a Dragon." Jellal asked, still on the seat about believing this tall tell.

"Yes I believe so." Rob sat down in the center of the children as if he was planning to tell a tale. "Dragon Slayer magic is a lost magic, legends say that one could only learn it by being taught by a Dragon. So that would explain how a young boy would be such an advanced mage at such a young age."

"That's right." Mason nodded. "But how did you know that? Are you a wizard or something?"

"I've dabbled with magic, and I like to think I know a thing or two about legends." Rob answered, still smiling.

"What's it like being raised by a Dragon. Was he super scary?" Jellal began bombarding the hooded boy with more of his questions and curiosity.

"Um, I guess he was kinda scary to look at. But after you got used to that he was really nice." Soon Mason was surrounded by the whole group, each with their own questions and opinions. Unknown to the Dragon's son, but he was slowly starting to build what would be his first friendships.

* * *

(Some time later, Mason's point of view)

The time I spent in the Tower Of Heaven, brief as it may be. Was some of the worst days of my life.

Every morning the guards would wake my comrades and I and immediately send us to work, we would receive the minimum amount of food and water. Just enough to keep us alive and working. Nights were cold, we would often huddle together to keep warm. It was on the second day of my tenure there that I learned Jellal and the other kids had been planning to escape.

"Hey Mason." Jellal whispered to me as I scarfed down a piece of stale bread. "You said you were desperate to get out of here, and go find your dad right." I knodded, being as my mouth was still full. "Then come on you gotta follow me.

Jellal took me to a small whole carved into the wall, Inside was a passage carved into the stone, the purpose being to escape.

"Do you think you could use a bit of magic to help with this tunnel?" As Jellal was asking I placed my palm on the stone at the back of the tunnel and channeled as much magic as I could muster.

Boom!

A small explosion bursted from my palms and shook the tunnel, cracking the stone slightly. "Haahhhhh… If I had more time, I could probably break through a bit more stone, but our break is almost up and the guards will come looking for us."

"Really? You think you could do it." Hope began to rise up in Jellal's voice. "That's great! Don't worry about time, we can come back tonight. If everyone helps we could be out by morning!"

"I hope you're right." I didn't want to disagree with the boy, and part of wanted to believe him. Unfortunately we would never finish that tunnel.

Almost as soon as we exited the tunnel we were abused by guards. "There he is, the young wizard." One of the guards grabbed me by the cloak and lifted me into the air.

"Hey let me go!" I screamed as I fruitlessly struggled to free myself.

"Put him down!" Jellal yelled at the guards, and received a knee to the face in response.

"Let's go." The guards took me away, kicking and screaming the whole time.

* * *

(Later)

"GGGGRRRRR! I swear, I'll get you for this!" I yelled to my captures, who simply ignored me. They chained my arms to a large crystal and unlocked my collar. "What?... Ha! I big mistake! Now you're gonna pay!" I began to charge energy balls in both my hands, little did I know I was giving them exactly what they wanted.

"Now!" One of the guards called out, and his partner pushed a button on a strange remote and the crystal I was tied to started to radiat a white magical aura.

"What are you doing to me!" The strange magic didn't hurt, rather it forced me to release more of my magic. The energy balls I had originally created began to grow in size, from palm sized to the size of beach balls. The crystal behind me changed color, from white to bright yellow.

"That's exactly the reaction we hoped for. Your body has the perfect amount of magical potential to be a suitable host for the God Zeref. Our God will tear your body apart and reshape it into a more suitable form." The guard explained before canceling the crystals strange spell. "Now hurry, but the collar back on the kid."

As the guard said this, the tower began to shake. Resulting in a loud, BOOOM!

"What the hell was that?" One of the guards asked, and the two of them rushed out of the room, leaving me alone.

"Huh? They just left." I paused for a second, then a smile formed across my face. I blasted the chains of my arms and ran out of the room myself.

* * *

(Later)

"Woah! What the hell is going." I came across a full blown revolution had erupted in the tower of heaven. Guards and soldiers against armed slaves, brutal fighting across the caverns. In the corner of my eyes I spotted a few of my comrades, surrounded by what appeared to be floating corpses. So I flew over as fast as I could.

When I arrived, my friends were huddled together each clinging in fear to a weapon of their own. "What's going on here."

"Whah! Where'd you come from." Simon cried out in shock.

"That's not important. What are these things?" I asked as I summoned a standard magic circle of protection. "And where are Jellal and Erza."

"Those are magic soldiers." Wally called out, he was usually calm but he was shaking in fear. "They are stronger than normal and can use magic spells."

"They're really scary ghost guys." Millianna called out, shaking behind Wally.

SNIFF SNIFF…. I took a deep wif with my nose, I picked up the scent of the magic soldiers and it was tasty. "Mmm…. Don't worry they won't be much of a problem."

"Whooooooohhhhhh!" I began inhale with my mouth, until I created a vortex that began pulling the magic soldiers into my mouth. I sucked up at least ten corpses and converted their magic power into my own. "Mmmmm, tasty."

"Ew! Gross! You can eat magic soldiers." Simon reeled back in disgust.

"Well duh. I'm a PHANTOM Dragon Slayer, I can eat death, sins, and souls that have been separated from their bodies." I explained, making my comrades shake.

"You eat souls…. Like a monster in a scary story?" Wally asked uncomfortably.

"Well, not really souls more like the energy left behind when someone dies. But I can't take that energy from a living person, that's too difficult." I explained.

"I don't wanna talk about this." Simon said, shivering. "Besides you left some." Simon pointed out the 30 remaining magic soldiers.

"Those guys won't be a problem either." I took another deep breath and my lungs filled with magic energy. " **PHANTOM DRAGON ROAR!** " I opened my jaw and a swirling spiral of radiat purple Phantoms flew from my mouth. Each phantom was made of Kinetic energy and exploded on contact with the magic soldiers.

BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!

"Whoa you did it." Sho commented as, defeated Magic soldiers began to rain from the sky.

"You guys never answered my question, what happened to Erza and Jellal." I repeated.

"I'll answer that." A familiar voice called out, but something felt off. Extremely off.

We turned to find Jellal slowly walking towards us, a misty magic aura swirling around him. "Erza left. She betrayed and abandoned us for her own selfish reasons."

"What?" "No way?" "She wouldn't do that!"

Jellal nodded. "Yes it's true she left us behind. She betrayed us?"

"That doesn't make any sense." I interrupted. "Wasn't it your plan to escape this whole time? She didn't betray us, let's just follow her and get out of here."

"True my plan was to escape, but then I was enlightened." Jellal clasped his hand, causing magic power to surge from his fist. "I learned the true meaning of the tower, it's not evil as we thought it was. It's purpose is that to achieve the ultimate freedom."

"No!" I argued back. "The guards told me. The purpose of this tower is to resurrect some dead god."

"That is Freedom!" Jellal yelled at me. And that's when I saw his eyes. I should have trusted my senses, his soul has been tainted some how. "Zeref will bring about the trust freedom on this earth. He'll purge his enemies and reward those faithful to him with power beyond belief."

"That's crazy! Jellal something's wrong with you. Your soul is so black, it smells rancid. You need to come with us, we need to get you help." I turned to the others who's heads had been lowered. "Come on guys, get to the boats we gotta go."

The others remained silent… Until Wally spoke up. "But where are we gonna go. We don't have a dad to go home to, our parents are dead…"

"Erza left us. She got her magic and left, now you wanna leave too after you got your power back." Sho continued. "We don't have power. I want magic too!" He yelled tears flowing from his eyes.

"If you stay…" Jellal said in a sky voice. "ZEREF WILL GIVE YOU MORE POWER THAN YOU'VE EVER IMAGINED." With that Jellal used telekinesis to shatter a nearby boulder.

"You can't really be buying that crap!" I was getting frustrated and my friends remained silent. "Simon! Millianna!" I looked over and the two nodded along to Jellal's promise. "GGGRRRRR! Fine! If you guys want to stay in this tower and worship some death god than, fine! But I'm getting out of here. I gotta find my dad. **DRAGON SHOT!** " I blasted a hole in a wall opening it to the air, before jumping out, before landing in the ocean I caught myself mid air and began flying towards shore.

A few hours later I collapsed on the sandy shore, without any idea where in the world I was, but completely out of magic power. Even though I was physically exhausted, I was happy because that was the last I'd see of the tower of heaven, so I thought.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

(7 years later)

 _In a small, run down dive on the outskirts of Oshibana Town. We find a familiar foe being heckled by the other drinkers._

"Hahahahaha!" A fat man with a scarred face and a beard began laughing up a storm. "Wow! After all that big talk The Mighty Erigor Of Eisenwald was defeated by a group of children."

The man in question, Erigor. Simply sat silent stewing in his defeat.

 _Erigor, the Grim Reaper Of The dark Guild Eisenwald. Using the Lullaby Flute, Erigor planned to destroy the Guild Masters Meeting, hoping to make a statement. He even planned to kill fairy tail guild master Makarov. But thanks to the efforts of young wizards Natsu, Gray, Lucy, and Erza, Erigor and his Guild mates were defeated and The people of Fiore were spared the wrath of Lullaby._

"Hey! Layoff the boss! He could still whoop all you losers butts!" One of the Eisenwald goons stood up in defense of his comrade, who still refused to speak.

"I don't know. If he gives me trouble I'll call my nephew, HE'S FOURTEEN! Hahahahaha!" Another bar goer bursted out laughing, and soon the whole establishment followed suit.

"Idiots…." Erigor finally spoke up. "None of you realize the destructive power of a Dragon Slayer. If it had been just an average wizard, there's no way those fairy tail goons would've stood a chance against me. But no, with my luck I ended up fighting with a monster." No one paid any mind to Erigor's rambling, instead they continued their drunken laughing. All except one patron, who was cloaked in a familiar black hood.

"Dragon Slayer?" The whole room went cold, causing the bar goers to shiver and shake. The hooded figure stood up and made his way over to the silver haired mage. "Now that sounds interesting."

"Hey!" The Eisenwald thug stood up between the cloaked figure and Erigor. "If you got a problem with the boss you can take it up with m-AAAAHHHH!" The thug looked down to find an arm phased through his chest.

"I really don't want things to get messy, so why don't you step aside." A ghastly voice crept out of the dark hood, causing the Thugs face to sweat and grow pale.

"Yes sir." He ran as fast as he could, straight out of the bar leaving Erigor Alone to face the frightening stranger.

"Ha! Don't think petty threats like that are gonna intimidate me. If you want me to talk, let's take this outside and settle this with our f-AAAAHHHHH!" Before Erigor could finish, the cloaked figure grabbed him by the head, forcing him to look into the deep darkness of the man's hood and two piercing red lights began burning back at him.

" **Dragon Slayer Forbidden Art! Timor!** " With that spell, the two red eyes flashed bright. Then Erigor's Irises changed to the same shade of glowing red.

"Ah! AAAAHHHHHHH! AAAHHHHHHHHH! What!? What the hell did you do to me!?" Erigor dropped to the floor and began to roll around the floor, gripping his head as if it was in pain.

"Calm down. Timor, it means fear. All the images you're seeing are just illusions and I can lift the spell if you really want me too." The cloaked figure said with a wave of his hand.

"Please, please! I'll do anything! Just make it stop." Erigor was on the verge of tears.

"Okay." The Wizard said slowly, drawing out every moment. "All you gotta do, is tell me what you know about the dragon slayer."

"Fine! His name is Natsu! Fairy Tail's Salamander! There guild is in Magnolia, that's where you can find him!" Erigor said, still rolling around in terror.

"Fairy Tail Huh?" The hooded figure snapped his fingers, dispelling the magic. Then removed the hood from his head, letting his messy white hair spill out. Mason had grown up into an adult Dragon Slayer. "Hey Bar Keep! How far is Magnolia from here!"

"Only a day away!" The helpful bartender called back from his hiding place.

"Oh that's great…"

"By train!" The bartender finished.

"Oh…." Mason's forehead began to sweat. "I think I'll walk…."

* * *

(Days later, in magnolia)

"Huh? So this is the big city?" Mason looked up and down the paved roads and tall houses. "It's kinda nice."

KABOOOOMMMM!

The ground began to rumble and shake, the very buildings started sway and crack.

"What the hell was that!?" Mason exclaimed to himself, trying to keep his balance.

"You! Stranger!" A man called out from the window of his home. "Get out of here it's dangerous! The two top guilds, Fairy Tail And Phantom Lord are fighting! None of us are safe!"

"The Fairies and the Phantoms are at war? That can't be good." Mason's eyes widened, before a toothy grin formed on his face. "Let's just see what I can do about that."

"Mister…. You're crazy." The stranger commented.

"You're welcome!" With that Mason charged forward, towards the battlefield.

In no time at all, Mason had arrived on the scene to find a truly bizarre sight. A group of wizards battling swarms of cloaked ghosts as a giant robot with a cannon sticking out of its chest. "A robot huh? Can't say I've seen that before." Mason jumped down to the beach, landing next to an older man with a Pipe who was using smoke magic.

"Hey how's it looking?" Mason asked, the battered warrior.

"Not great…. The master is down and we're surrounded by these nasty phantoms that can drain your magic energy. Erza, Grey, Elfman, and Natsu went in to try and dismantle the cannon, but there master Jose is one of the 10 Wizard Saints, and They have a Dragon slayer of their own. The Iron Dragon Slayer Gajeel. Even those guys might be in trouble…" A sad puff of smoke followed the man's report.

"And Natsu is the Fire Dragon Slayer, right?" 'Alright, that means there are two dragon slayers here.' Mason started grinning again.

"Yeah….. Wait a second…. Who are you?!" Wakaba stumbled back just now realizing he gave away that information to a stranger.

"Don't worry about it!" Mason jumped into the air above the other fighters and used his levitation to carry him towards the Phantom Guild hall. But about halfway to his destination a swarm of phantoms flew in front of him. "Mmmmm…. Tasty…" Mason unhinged his jaw and the phantoms were sucked up into his maw like a funnel. "So there's a powerful wizard in there that can use Phantom Magic. Well unfortunately for him today doesn't look like it's going to be his day."

* * *

(Erza's POV)

'Crap! This is bad…. Jose's got me in his Shade Entangle. If this keeps up he's going to suck the magic out of me like he did to Master Makarov…' Erza Grunted and struggled as she tried to free herself from the purple ghosts. 'If only I hadn't used so much power already. If I could just get free!'

"While I've never been particularly fond of your guild, those feelings are not the reason I decided to attack your guild today. I was hired by the Patriarch of the Heartfilia Family to find his missing daughter." Jose explained.

'Lucy!'

"So that's why you decided to break the rules of the magic council?" A strange voice called out from another part of the room and I could feel my bindings loosening. The purple phantoms soon dematerialized and began to flow as energy towards the strange voice. "I'll be honest that wasn't the best idea."

"What the hell! Who are you? You're not a member of Fairy Tail, at least not one that I've ever seen." Jose cried out in frustration.

I was eventually released from the bindings and I immediately looked over to see who came to my aid. A dark ghastly cloak topped with snowy white hair and crimson eyes that were all too familiar from my youth and the time I spent in the Tower of Heaven, the Phantom Dragon Slayer Mason.

"No you're right, I'm not a member of Fairy Tail. I'm just here to have a chat with the Dragon Slayers, but I figured I should lend a hand to an old friend of mine." He smiled at me, and in a mixture of fear, confusion and admittedly a bit of excitement I could feel my face growing hot and turning red.

"You pests just keep coming out of the damn woodwork! But that's just fine! I'll send you all to oblivion! **Dead Wave!** " Jose charged a massive blast of purple energy and hurled it at Mason, who took a deep breath and swallowed it whole. "Stop it! You keep eating my magic! How the hell do you do that."

"You should already know Jose Porla, Guild Master of Phantom Lord. Isn't one of your most powerful wizards the Iron Dragon Slayer, Black Steel Gajeel?" Mason started grinning as Jose started fuming.

"No way! It's not possible you can't be."

"I am Mason Alastor, the Phantom Dragon Slayer. And you are one of the Ten Wizard Saints, and your specialty is Phantom Magic correct. Unfortunately your magic doesn't work on me, but mine on the other hand. **Phantom Dragon's Shot!** " Mason's entire arm was shrouded in purple light, then an incredible laser of Phantom Magic Energy erupted from his palm, blasting Jose in the chest and sending him flying. Even without the boost he received from consuming so much Phantom Magic, it was very apparent that he had progressed considerably as a wizard since the last time I saw him.

Mason jumped down from the top deck, and landed right next to me. "I'm not great at healing magic, but I can manage." He put his hands over me and a green light began radiating from his hands, it was a great help in soothing the pain of my wounds.

"What are you doing here? How did you escape the tower? Jellal said that the Guards took you away to be a sacrifice, I thought you were dead." I began rambling senselessly, not giving Mason time to answer even if he wanted to.

"Calm down, calm down. You don't have to be scared, I know about Jellal and I'm not with him. I'm here for the other Dragon Slayers." Mason grabbed my shoulders to keep me from panicking, and that's when I knew he was telling the truth. I could sense no malice form him, meaning that whatever sickness that had overtaken my old friend Jellal had not done the same to him. "I'll explain everything."

Crash! Before Mason could finished we both could sense Master Jose's Power building once more. "Scratch that, I'll explain everything later." Mason said as he removed his cloak. Underneath the black cape he wore a sleeveless white shirt with black pants, he also wore a black wristband on his left hand. " **Chains!** " Mason called out as he channeled his magic into the cloth changing it into a long metal chain. "My cloak was a gift from my father." He explained even though I hadn't asked. "By channeling my magic power into it I can change its form into a variety of different weapons or articles of clothing."

Magic power began to flow through chain as Mason started to spin it in his hand. "You hang back for now, I'll take care of this guy?" He looked over at me and smiled, just like another dragon slayer I know.

"Wait!" I shook those thoughts from my head. "I can't let you fight someone like him on your own."

"Actually you can." Mason took a step forward and that's when I say it. On the back of his shirt was the symbol of the armed forces that enforce the will of the Magic Council, the Rune Knights.

* * *

(Mason's POV)

"Let me reIntroduce myself, Mason Alastor, Phantom Dragon Slayer. Head Captain of the 2nd Custody Enforcement Unit, and part of the Black Ops Unit. If anyone has the jurisdiction to take on a wizard saint, it's me." The black ops unit is supposed to be top secret, but I felt like bragging a bit. "Fighting between two official guilds in a public area, especially a city is like super illegal. I think I gotta take you in." I taunted as, Jose rose to his feet.

"So you're a Rune Knight? And a captain nonetheless, so the Magic Council is making Captains out of Kids. Who would've guessed they'd ever be so desperate. There's no doubting that this generation has talent, but they are certainly lacking when it comes to experience!" Jose threw forward his hand and a bolt of red lightning shot from his fingertips, nearly hitting me.

"So you're done using Phantom Magic? That's a shame, I could go for seconds." I started spinning my chain, and with strong toss I lassoed him in Iron. "These chains can channel my magic power, it can give you a nasty shock when your wrapped up like that."

"So these chains conduct magic energy? I think it's safe to assume that it works both ways." Jose flexed and the red lightning began traveling down my chain.

"Agh!" I dropped the chain before I could be shocked, and Jose was able to free himself. "That's a neat trick."

"You don't get to be recognized as one of the 10 Wizard Saints if you can't pull of this much." Jose let loose his magic aura. Purple energy and red lightning radiating from his body, it was utterly imposing. "Do you still wish to challenge me boy, you really wish to fight for a guild that you don't even belong to."

"I already told you Jose Porla, your under arrest for starting a fight that's endangering the lives of civilians, it's my job to take you down….. Or more like his job." Jose looked confused, so I stepped aside to reveal the other Wizard Saint Master Makarov Dreyar, who was radiating a bright light. "I suppose I can leave this to you?"

"Please!" The old wizards voice boomed with a massive power.

"Great. Cause I gotta go take care of some other stuff.." I said, getting ready to follow my nose to the other dragon slayers.

"Wait!" The Master of the Fairies called out to me. "Can I get your name my boy?"

"Uh, I'll tell you later. I'm probably gonna have to Arrest you too." I said before running off.

"Wait! Why do I have to go to jail!"

* * *

(In the Wreckage of the Phantom Lord)

I could hear Voices as I approached the familiar dragon like smell, so I figured I should activate my Invisibility Magic, I don't wanna interrupt. When I found them they were both laying on the ground and there magic was dangerously depleted.

"Yeah. Metalicana disappeared on me Seven years ago the Year 777." A gruff voice said, and by the name of his Dragon I could assume this was the Iron Dragon Slayer Gajeel.

"777… That's the same as Igneel…" A much more upbeat voice replied, that must be Fairy Tails Dragon Slayer Natsu. "July Seventh 777….."

"What a coincidence." I decided to speak up, dispelling my invisibility and making myself known. "The Dragon I was raised by Buruut left me on the same day. July Seventh 777, so weird right?"

"WHAGH! WHO ARE YOU!"

"ARE YOU SAYING YOU WERE RAISED BY A DRAGON TOO!"

The two yelled at me, I guess it makes sense they'd be startled. "Oh crap, that's my bad. I really need to get better at Introductions Huh? I'm Mason Alastor, the Phantom Dragon Slayer. I came to Magnolia to talk to Natsu, but when I heard there were two dragon slayers in town. I had to talk to both of you."

"What the hell! Another Dragon Slayer." Gajeel spoke up. "What the hell is a Phantom Dragon?"

"Like your dad was dead?" Natsu tried to follow up.

"No. It's really simple how come this always confuses everyone, it's a Dragon who uses Phantom Magic. But that's not the point." I cleared my throat before continuing. "My father told me that once he left, I needed to find the other Dragon Slayers. He didn't tell me why, only that it was extremely important to find all of you. I don't know how many Dragon Slayers there are, there could be 3 more or 30 more, but that's not important."

"Wait!" Natsu interrupted. "So you're Dragon said that all the Dragon Slayers had to be together for some super important thing. I bet it's a tournament, to find out which Dragon Slayer is the strongest! That's so awesome, Alright I already beat Gajeel so I'll fight you next."

"This is stupid…" Gajeel mumbled.

"A tournament?" I asked myself. "That could be it… But I feel like if it was trivial like that Buruut would've already told me. I've done research and descovered legends of Dragon King Festivals, and people wielding the Dragon's magic becoming Dragon's but those are all legends. Whatever it is, I think it's big. And now that we've found each other, we should stick together so that when whatever it is comes we can be ready."

"And if it really is a Tournament, then we can use each other to train!" Natsu got really excited, to the point he was even able to sit up. "Hey Gajeel, sense your guild is probably gonna get disbanded, you should join Fairy Tail."

As Natsu said this, I picked up on a faint sound, like someone said the word " **Law!** "

Then FWWWOOOOOSSSSHHHHHH! An enormous wave of Light covered everything in sight, I've never seen an Etherion Blast, so this is truly the highest concentration of magic power I've ever seen in a single spell.

By the time the light had Dissipated Gajeel was gone….

* * *

(Later, 3rd person POV)

Fairy Tail immediately began to celebrate their victory over Phantom Lord, but this would be short lived as a group of Rune Knights appeared on the Beach to confront Fairy Tail's Guild Master.

"Master Makarov Dreyar! You're under arrest!" The head knight announced pointing his spear at the old mage.

"No way! I don't wanna go to jail!" Makarov began to sob, embarrassing his guild members.

"Wait a second!" A voice called out from the shore. All eyes turned to see Mason who was Carrying Natsu on his back and in his hand he held a medallion with the Rune Knights insignia on it. "Mason Alastor Head Captain of the 2nd Custody Enforcement Unit, Black Ops division. I'll handle things from here."

* * *

(Author's Notes)

Thank you guys for the support on the last chapter, I made sure I was quick to get this one out.

The way this story works is rather than retelling every event from the story, I'll only focus on what mason does. So all the fights will be his, and stuff like that. If you guys have any suggestions let me know.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

VRROOOOMMMM!

 _A Magic Limousine. A very special type of Magic Vehicle that often carry Fiore's Rich and Famous, and this is where we find our Hero, much to his discomfort._

"So Mason, Was it?" The Leader of the Fairy Tail guild Makarov Dreyar asked. He sat opposite of Mason who was preoccupied looking out the window. "You certainly are quiet…. And you say you're a Dragon Slayer like Natsu?..."

"..." Mason replied with more silence.

"Say something damn it! Don't you know it's rude to ignore people, especially your elders!" Makarov had grown impatient with the Dragon Slayer, one could even say he was quite SHORT with him.

Mason turned to look Makarov in the eye, and that's when it became clear. Mason was totally green in the face. "I think…. I'm gonna hurl…."

"Not on me! Point the other way!"

* * *

(Flashback)

Back on the beach, after Jose had been defeated. "I'll take it from here."

"AAHHH!" Natsu yelled as he was dropped from Mason's back, as the white haired boy dropped him to go join his fellow Rune Knights.

Mason grabbed the handcuffs from the officer making the arrest. "Umm… But sir, we received direct orders from headquarters to stop the two guilds fighting and arrest both parties." Said officer explained, still pretty confused by the whole ordeal unfolding before him.

"Well you failed on the whole stop the fighting of the guilds, I had to do that for you." Mason shrugged as he took credit. "Don't you think it's fair that I get to make the Arrests for you too?"

"But sir, Makarov is still to be held responsible for.."

"Enough!" Mason sounded of using his Soldier Voice. "I told you I'd take care of fairy tail, for now. If you wanna be helpful, then go gather up Jose Porla. I think he's still in the Phantom Guild Hall." Mason pointed his thumb back at the Giant Robot that was beginning to break apart. "Looks like you'd better hurry, if Master Porla is crushed by falling rubble that wouldn't look very good on your official report would it?"

"Yes sir…" With that the Rune Knights begrudgingly went off to go collect Jose.

"Hahaha alright!"Natsu jumped up, suddenly full of energy. "The Magic Council can't tell us what to do anymore! We got one on the inside!"

"Yeah but who is this guy?" A shirtless mage asked, the Fairy Tail Ice Wizard Grey Fullbuster.

"I don't know him, but the way he talked down to those Rune Knights was pretty manly." Tough guy, Elfman Strauss commented.

"I don't know him either, but he's kinda cute." Fairy Tail's resident Pinup model, Mirajane Strauss said with a chuckle.

"He's an old friend.." Erza commented, just barely being able to keep herself upright after the events of today. "I knew him before my time with Fairy Tail, we've been separated for awhile but it's good to see him again."

"Hahaha! Way to show those losers." Natsu ran up, and placed his arm on Mason's shoulder as if they were old friends. "That's how is Dragon Slayers get things done."

"Yeah, we can celebrate later." Mason spoke up. "But first let's take care of business." Mason walked up to Master Makarov holding the hand cuffs. "Makarov Dreyar… Your under arrest!" Mason clipped the cuffs onto the old man's wrists.

"WHAT!?" The entire guild erupted in confusion.

"No! I don't wanna go to jail!" Makarov cried out.

* * *

(Flashback ends)

Back on the Magic Limousine. "There there…" Makarov said, slowly rubbing Mason's back as he sat hunched over in the back of the Limousine. "I appreciate you going through with this, but are you sure you can talk the council out of any punishment. I don't want you sticking your neck out for my sake."

"Yeah….. Don't worry about it…" Mason said slowly, trying his best not to lose his lunch. He was eventually able to sit back up. "The council loves me, at the most you'll get a slap on the wrist." Mason smiled before once again being overtaken by his motion sickness.

"Sir!" A Rune Knight opened the window between the driver's seat and the back of the limo. "We've reached Era, the magic council is only a few minutes away."

"Oh thank god…" Mason gave the soldier a thumbs up, and he closed the window. "Don't worry about a thing. I've got you covered."

* * *

(Later. In the magic council)

"Has the council reached a verdict?" A large bearded wizard addressed the council. "Regarding the punishment of Makarov Dreyar for endangering the lives of the citizens of Magnolia."

"Yes your honor." A man with blue hair almost identical to Jellal, but in actuality it was his twin brother Siegrain. "The council rules, not guilty! Thanks to a testimony by a high ranking soldier, the same one who apprehended Erigor. He was on the scene during the battle and he claims that it was the leader of Phantom Lord, Jose Porla was the one who initiated the conflict and Master Makarov And his guild were simply acting in self defense. I however recommend we assign an agent to monitor the Fairy Tail Guild to keep any further incident from arising. I nominate the Agent whose testimony was used as evidence. Captain Mason Alastor."

"All in favor of this." The chairmen called to the rest of the council.

"Aye!" Seven of the other council members responded, giving a majority vote and carrying the motion.

* * *

(Meanwhile, elsewhere in the magic council headquarters)

 _There is a room in the Magic councils headquarters where some of the most powerful members of the organization gather to take on missions, and discuss their findings in the world of magic. The wizards are the Captains or the Custody Enforcement Units, the Magic Councils Special forces. Today four of the six captains have gathered here._

 _Mason Alastor Head Captain of the 2nd Custody Enforcement Unit. He practices Dragon Slayer Magic, a lost magic that allows him to take on the destructive Power of a Dragon. Trained by the legendary Dragon Buruut And a survivor of the Tower of Heaven incident Seven years ago. At 18 years old he is the second youngest of the six._

 _Tyson Hammer, Head Captain of the 3rd Custody Enforcement Unit. A large, muscular man with short white hair and a large bushy moustache that covers a majority of his face, but his bluish green eyes remain uncovered. His Magic is known as Burst Magic, simple yet extremely powerful. He can create devastating explosions of magic power. At 43 he is the oldest active member._

 _Amber Celadon, Head Captain of the 5th Custody Enforcement Unit. A short, petite girl with chocolate brown hair that reaches down to her shoulders and pale blue eyes. She's an expert at Gun Magic and carries two hand gun cannons both of which are capable of obliterating walls of solid steel with a single shot. At 14 she is the youngest of the six._

 _Julia Moors, Head Captain of the 6th Custody Enforcement. A young woman with long blonde hair and dark green eyes. She is a Second Generation Dragon Slayer, Inside her body is a Lacrima that grants her the power of Plasma Dragon Slayer Magic. At 22 she is one of the older members of the Group._

"So the Boss isn't in town?" Mason asked the other wizards gathered in the room.

"Nope!" Tyson was the first to answer in a gruff serious tone. "Out on job. That means your in charge two."

"I guess so." Mason pushed himself up out of his chair. "And I got a special assignment for you lot." He looked down at the other three.

* * *

(Magic council Captains Bar)

Mason swung the door to the bar open and his friends all ran inside. "Alright guys, it's time to get your drink on. And that's an order! We're celebrating!" Mason raised a mug of meek into the air before starting to down it.

"Haha!" Tyson smacked the white haired boy on the back, causing him to spit out his drink. "It's good to have you back, kid. This place can get pretty boring without you around."

"Then take a job old man!" Mason yelled back. "You don't have to keep yourself cooped up in this place. Look at me, I brought in Erigor and Jose. I think I'm in for a pay raise."

"What your in for is a transfer." Julia says between sips of wine. "I heard from the higher ups that you'll be observing the Fairy Tail Guild starting tomorrow. Thanks to the influence of our favorite council Member."

"I don't know why you guys are so hard on him." Mason said putting down his mug. "His brother may be nuts, but he seems like a pretty nice guy. I'm ok with the move, those Fairy Tail guys seem pretty interesting, plus there's another dragon slayer there so at least there will be something to talk about."

"Another Dragon Slayer? That is interesting. Is he a Dragon slayer like me or a "Real Dragon slayer" " Julia said making quotes in the air with her fingers.

"No he's a real Dragon Slayer. Like me." Mason answered, kinda confused by the girl's sarcasm.

"So there's another delusional boy out there that actually believes in Dragons. It's kinda sad." Julia said turning back to her wine. "It's kinda fitting that he's part of a guild called fairy tail."

"Hmm. Your just jealous that your power comes from a rock in your chest." Mason replied with a smirk.

"Ok, ok stop fighting…" Tyson stood up between the two. "You're acting like children. Amber, say something."

The quiet girl looked around the room, then back down to her drink. "I have to drink juice…. Cause I'm small…." The brunette looked over to Julia then down at her own chest. "Very small."

"So you're really okay with being relocated. You realize your about to be a glorified baby sitter. Most knights who take jobs like this are at the ends of their careers, I'm not even considering taking a supervisor job. And Fairy Tail is a real nut case, I don't see this assignment ending soon." The experienced Tyson put his hand on the boy's shoulder, offering the young man his advice.

"I won't lie to you guys, I requested the supervisor assignment." Mason admitted, timidly lifting his glass to his lips.

"WHAT!" The entire group nearly spit their drinks at the boy.

"You do realize that's career suicide, right?" Amber asked again in a monotone.

"Yeah, well I've actually been doing some thinking recently, and depending on how this job goes, it may be my last as a Knight." Mason said staring down at his mug. "It took me three years to reach second place on in the CEU, I would never want the Captain's Job and being a General sounds like a lot of work, I'm no good with the troops the council let's me command from here. I never really liked politics much so there's no way I'd be gunning for a seat on the Council. It just feels like I've gone as far as I can here. I've always been interested in guild wizard's that's why this Relocation Job is…. a…. great…. opportunity…. for…. me." Mason began shaking and his friends started to go pale in the face.

"What did you say…." A powerful, imposing voice, shook the very walls around them. Mason swiveled around on his bar stool and was with a gigantic Magic Council Symbol on a Gigantic armor chest plate. His eyes looked up to find a knights helmet with a brown plume and to glowing yellow eyes staring through the viser down at him. "You took a Relocation job!" The armor Roared, knocking Mason out of his seat and not the floor.

 _This walking Suit of Armor, was known simply as Brosnan. The Captain of the 1st Custody Enforcement Unit, the leader of the 6 and the most powerful member. Rumor is that no one has seen past the armor and lived to talk about it._

"B-B-Boss…. Uh hah! Your looking good… When did you get back?!" Mason smiled back, but at the same time a nervous sweat broke out across his face.

"I heard the rumors, I came by hoping to confirm them as false." The bulking Knight grabbed him by the throat, lifting up into the air. "It looks like I was the one who's wrong. And I hate being wrong!" Golden Eyes stared down into the dragon slayer's soul. "Tell me why you would even think about taking a supervising job!"

"ACK! Because…." Mason replied in a crushed voice. "I think it's gonna be a good learning experience…"

"Ggrrrr…. You idiot." Brosnan let go of the boys neck, dropping him to the floor. "I forbid it. We have better use for you here."

"But boss, The council has already approved of the move." Tyson interrupted and was met with another cold glare.

"I'll talk to the council and they will change their minds." Brosnan said before turning to the door. "You're the Second Captain Of Custody Enforcement Unit. When I'm not around, the council will look to you to make decisions and execute perfectly. Up to this point you've been rash, reckless and unreliable. Your loose cannon attitude reflects poorly on all of us, regardless of any results you may yield."

"Hold it!" Mason stood up between Brosnan and the door. "Look I don't care what you have to say about me or my work, but I'm taking this assignment. I'm leaving for Magnolia tonight, and you can't stop me."

"What did you say?" The golden eyes shining through the Massive Knights helmet narrowed onto the relatively small Dragon Slayer.

"Now, now. I think both of you need to calm down. Just let the boy take the assignment it's not like it will hurt anyone." Tyson tried to plead with his superior, but failed to gain so much as a response.

"A job like this devalues all of us. We aren't Errand boys, we're elite soldiers. We don't take these jobs, and I'm not about to let this idiot change the president that we've worked hard to set." Brosnan said as a magic circle appeared summoning his sword. "Now move out of the way Mason, before I split you in half."

"Wait!" Mason spoke back up. "If you want to settle this. Let's do this the right way, let's fight. If you win you can call off this job and that will be the end of it. If I win I can do what I want." A cocky smirk formed across his face.

"Fine by me…" Brosnan brushed the boy's confidence aside. "I've been meaning to put you in your place for a while now." With twin flashes of light a massive shield, Mason's body length in diameter, and a colossal sword as thick as a tree summoned themselves to Brosnan's hands. "But make no mistake, I will utterly crush you."

* * *

(Later…)

The five wizards moved together down the hallways to Magic Council's Training Facility where they came across a familiar face.

"Oh, there you are." Fairy Tail's Master Makarov had concluded his business with the council and greeted the dragon slayer with a smile. "The councilmen told me that we are to leave as soon as you're ready to leave. I'm looking forward to returning to the guild, so if you're ready…" Makarov's smile turned to a frown as he leaned that he was once again being ignored by the young man. "You damn kid! When will you learn to respect your elders!" Mason simply walked past him, his eyes fixated on the fight ahead.

"Apologies." Fellow old man Tyson said with a bow. "He's currently preoccupied. He's challenged his superior to a fight, and it seems like a trend in his generation for to get so excited that they seem to forget everything thing else around them."

"Hmph! It's definitely a trend that seems common in young Dragon Slayers… I suppose I understand. I'll wait here a bit longer." Makarov said in a disappointed tone.

"Well it may not be any more exciting than sitting here, but you're welcome to watch if you'd like." Tyson replied, receiving a confused look from Master Makarov. "I'm pretty sure it's not gonna be close." Tyson explained. "It may be a fight between number 1 and number 2 in our ranks, but that gap is wide. Massive in fact. I'm. Pretty sure it won't be close…."

* * *

(Training battle field)

The six entered a large auditorium, in the center was a sandy battlefield full of scattered stones of various sizes. In the center stood the two combatants and the audience remained sidelined.

"Alright if the combatants are ready!" Tyson yelled to the battlefield. "Then you may BEGIN!"

Mason was the first to move flipping the hood of his cloak over his head covering his face in shadows, leaving only two glowing red eyes visible to his opponent. " **PHANTOM DRAGON'S! ROAR!** " Through the opening of the hood flew a spiraling swarm of screaming purple ghosts that took no time colliding armored giant resulting in an explosion of smoke and dust.

"Really… Is that all?" Brosnan's voice boomed as the dust cleared, revealing the massive magic-canceling shield had been put up. "I'd hoped you'd improve at least a bit since the last time we fought, but no. You still charge head first like a reckless child. Huh?" That's when Brosnan realized the dragon slayer was gone…

" **PHANTOM DRAGON'S STRIKE!** " Mason had suddenly appeared in the air next to Brosnan and swept his leg that was glowing purple with magic energy, into the side of his helmet. The blow sent the giant back a bit, sliding and making a track in the dirt.

"What! How did he do that?" Makarov said startled. "I thought he used Dragon Slayer Magic, he just teleported!"

"Not quite teleportation." The Plasma Dragon Slayer Julia spoke up this time. "Mason is a PHANTOM Dragon Slayer, he has the ability to turn and invisible and he can move without making a sound."

"He's been our best stealth operative for years. He also has the ability to Phase through nearly any physical object or attack as well as levitate and use telekinesis. His magic is certainly versatile." Tyson explained.

"That's fascinating…" Makarov turned his eyes back to the battle at hand. "And you say he's only the second most powerful among you and that the gap is large. That must mean that the Knight is really something."

"Yes. There is only so much that even the most Versatile Mages can overcome and the boss is destruction incarnate." Tyson said also turning his attention to the fight.

"Neat trick… try one of mine." Brosnan rose the enormous sword into the sky and it began to glow golden, then it began to swirl in the air creating a golden ring. " **DOUBLE RING!** " Two rings flew off from the tip of the sword. Mason was able to jump over the first, but the second caught him dead in the chest sending him flying backwards.

"Why didn't he faze through that attack?" Makarov asked.

"Energy based attacks, especially those made of light and fire, Mason can't Phase through." Tyson explained. "I suppose you could call it a weakness of sorts, but it's more like a limitation."

"Ughh…. Youch! That one stung. My head's still ringing." Mason put a hand to his head through the hood. "You still got it boss."

"Clearly. And I suggest you get serious, before you get hurt!" As that was said, Brosnan's massive sword came crashing down over Mason's Head, forcing him to roll out of the way.

"Wait? Can he not phase through the sword." Makarov asked.

"The sword and the shield are both special. The boss uses light magic, which is pretty much the antithesis of Mason's Phantom Magic. She imbues her weapons with her magic power and that makes them immune to his magic." Tyson answered.

"I see…" Replied Makarov. "So the Knight has the advantage in strength and her magic matches up well against Mason's… He'll have to be mighty clever if he hopes to win this one."

As Mason continued to dodge blows from the mighty blade an idea came to mind. He grabbed a handful of his cloak. "Alright! Two can play at this game! **Sword!** " He called out, channeling magic energy into the fabric changing its shape into that of a Katana freeing his Snow White hair from the hood. Then he used this sword to block the massive blade, resulting in an explosion of sparks.

"So you wanna get in a sword fight with me, huh!" Brosnan began pushing her blade harder. "Big mistake!" With a powerful thrust of the massive sword, Brosnan was able to shatter Mason's Katana. But before the blade could make contact Mason jumped on top of it and used it as a springboard.

" **Chains!** " Mason chanted and the shattered bits of sword reformed a a long chain, which he grabbed midair. Then using his intangibility he phased through brosnan's massive arm and ensnaring it in magic chains.

"Ugh…. What's this?" The titanic knight struggled, unable to move, as Mason made his way in front of the knight.

"Let's try this again." The boy smirked. " **PHANTOM DRAGON'S ROAR!** " This time the spiral of made contact with the suit of armor.

KABOOOM! A large purple explosion erupted from the collision.

"Well…. I suppose that was a bit better." A confident voice called back from the plume of smoke. "I'll do you one better. **GOLDEN EYE! GLORIOUS SHINE!** " Two golden eyes emerged from the grey smoke, then a massive beam of light erupted, clearing the dust clouds away.

" **PHANTOM DRAGON'S BARRIER!** " Mason created a dome of purple magic, but it would prove to be useless, the yellow energy blast destroyed it with ease and the force of it buried Mason into the battlefield.

"Certainly more than I expected. You had some semblance of a strategy, very impressive for a head strong idiot. But unfortunately you're running low on magic power, game over Dragon Slayer." Brosnan gloated, but the battle wasn't quiet over yet.

"Grrrr…" Mason growled, gritting his teeth, as he kneeled down in the dirt. "Fine, I guess I have no other choice. **Phantom Drive!** " Mason said and his hair began to whip itself upwards as an enormous spring of magic power erupted from deep inside, forcing waves of purple energy to flow over the Dragon Slayer's body. He stood up and opened his eyes which had changed from red to a bright vibrant color, the same shade as his aura.

"Wait! What is this Drive? Magic Amplification, Natsu doesn't have such a technique and he's a dragon slayer like Mason." Makarov rambled in a state of confused Awe.

"That may not necessarily be the case…" Tyson commented. "Traditionally there have been two distinct types of Dragon Slayer. Dragon Slayers that were given their abilities because of a Lacrima implanted in them, like Julia for instance." The bearded man gestured to the blonde. "And texts references mages who were given their abilities by training under a dragon, I assume Fairy Tail's Salamander falls into this category. Mason is a hybrid of sorts, his body produces Dragon Slayer magic on its own but in his body lies a Lacrima of the same element. He can run the flow of magic in his body through the Lacrima giving it a supercharge, and that creates the Drive ability."

"Fascinating…. I wonder if it would work with with other types of magic?" Makarov speculated.

"You haven't seen anything yet." Julia who had remained quiet the whole time spoke up with a smirk. "The idiot thinks that using the power of his Lacrima is cheating. I've spared with him hundreds of times and he'd rather lose than use that ability. So that must mean he's serious."

"Hmmm. Don't think that an Amplifier spell has me scared." Brosnan announced with unwavering spirits. "If you truly wish to continue, then come at me."

"Fine! You asked for it." Mason summoned his chain back into its wristband form before charging headon.

"Woah! You are faster, so that spell increases your physical abilities as well as your magic power." Brosnan commented as Mason dashed across the sandy battlefield.

Mason charged ahead and began to ball up his fist. " **PHANTOM DRAGON'S!** "

"Fast. But not fast enough!" Brosnan slammed the massive shield down ahead of the oncoming attack, but then Mason suddenly disappeared and reformed behind the shield. "What? A counter!"

" **VANISHING FIST!** " Mason called our as he uppercutted the massive knight, into the air. "Now's my chance. **DRAGON SLAYER SECRET ART: CURSED SOUL, 10000 PHANTOMS!** " An enormous Geyser of purple phantoms like the ones created from Mason's breath attack, erupted. The ghost made of energy flew upwards colliding with the falling suit of armor and enveloping it in purple light.

"Ha, Ha.." Mason's Drive dissipated. "How was that, for a head strong idiot."

CLANG! The sound of armor hitting the ground was almost like a victory bell for the dragon slayer. Brosnan's massive armor landed in an upright sitting position, but there was a gigantic hole in the massive Knight's chest. "You Idiot!" Two glowing yellow eyes and a much less masculine and imposing voice emerged from destroyed armor.

With steps that shook the earth, an unexpected figure emerged from the rubble of the armor. A skin tight bodysuit dawning the Rune Knights insignia showed of Brosnan's very feminine curves and her long, chocolate brown was tied up into a ponytail. Her eyes sparkled gold.

 _Brosnan, Head Captain of the 1st Custody Enforcement Unit. She is very much a woman with long brown hair and golden eyes to boot. She uses a variety of Light Based Magics but her most famous and perhaps most deadly is her Golden Eye Magic. At 19 she is the youngest wizard ever to hold her position._

"She's a girl!" Makarov let out a surprised screech.

"No." Julia spoke up once more. "That is a girl." She pointed her thumb over to the young Amber who had fallen asleep watching the fight. "That." She pointed at Brosnan. "Is a badass."

"Do you know how long it's gonna take me to fix my armor?" Brosnan took a sassy stance, putting her hand on her hip as Mason simply stood there with a dumb look on his face. "Hello! Are you listening."

"Huh!" Mason snapped back. "Sorry I was just taken aback. You wear that bulky armor so much sometimes I forget what a total Hottie you are." The Dragon Slayer shot back an innocent, toothy smile. Not paying too much attention to what he had just said.

"What…." Brosnan said sheepishly her face burning red with embarrassment, but that embarrassment quickly turned to anger. "WHAT!" She jumped backwards and a golden magic circle appeared in front of her eyes. "Time to die jerk! **Golden Eye Beautiful Cannon!** " A massive laser erupted from the circle.

"Oh, I guess we're still fighting. **Phantom Drive!** " The Purple Aura returned and Mason stuck his hands out in front of him. " **PHANTOM DRGAON'S CANNON!** " A large purple magic circle appeared at the tips of Mason's fingers and an energy blast Similar to Brosnan's but purple in color flew from his fingertips.

The two met in the center, but it was immediately clear that The brunette's blast was more powerful. The gold blast overpowered the gold one and plowed into Mason, completely over taking him.

After the attack faded, Mason found himself lying burnt and smoking on the ground. Brosnan slowly walked over to the beaten Mason and looked down at his face. "Fine…" she said in a defeated tone. "You can go to the stupid guild or whatever, just don't cause any more trouble. And stop being a perv." She said, putting her arms beneath her large chest, pushing it upwards a bit more. A small red blush formed on her face.

"Y-you… Got it Boss." Mason soluted weakly, before a cartoonish puff of smoke rose from his mouth and he blacked out

* * *

(End)


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

 _Once again we find our Hero in a perilous situation. Riding two the City Of Magnolia in a train._

"Why? Why couldn't we have just walked!" Mason groaned as he slammed down into his seat. His face turning a new shade of green.

"It really is a shame…" Makarov commented with a shake of his head. "A wizard with such incredible potential, rendered utterly useless by a bit of motion sickness. I hoped to have a conversation about magic, but that doesn't seem likely at this point."

"It's not my fault." Mason replied win a whine. "A Dragon Slayer's most vital organ is there stomach. It's how we get our power. When it's acting up, I lose all my strength."

"Hmmm…. You really do remind me of Natsu." The old man grumbled. "So why did you agree to take this assignment anyway? Wouldn't you rather be busting down dark guilds or killing monsters or something?"

"From what I've read on the files regarding Fairy Tail, if I hang around you guy." Mason looked up with a confident smirk, before immediately being overtaken by nausea. "The main reason is because of that Dragon Slayer in your guild. He's the first realm Dragon Slayer I've ever and There's so much I need to talk to him about. Plus I was friends with Erza when I was younger and seeing her again was kinda nostalgic. Plus it'd be nice to see how a Guild operates, I joined the Magic Council when I was 13 so I've never been part of a guild so this will be a nice learning experience."

"Hmmm….. I've known a few Knights in my day. Kid you don't act too much like a soldier." The Guild Master pointed out causing Mason to fall silent in thought…. Or maybe he wa just sick again.

* * *

(Fairy Tail Guild Hall… Almost)

"What happened here? This place is a wreck." Mason looked around aghast at the wreckage that was once the Fairy Tail Guild Hall. "I thought you guys were like number one guild, but this place is a- ACK!" A strong smack collided with the back of the dragon slayers head, shutting him.

"It hasn't always looked like this you idiot!" Makarov yelled as he retracted his stretched out arm back to it's normal size. "The Phantom Lord Guild attacked and destroyed our guild hall as a means to provoke us."

"Are you serious!?" Mason cried out in shock, and received a stern nod from Makarov. "Then why didn't ask the Magic Council for commissions?" Mason tilted his head confused.

Makarov just there stunned for a second. "...Huh?..."

"The council ruled that it was Phantom Lord who was responsible for starting the war between themselves and Fairy Tail. The second they attacked another official guild they technically became a Dark Guild in the eyes of the Council. And it's the Council's, more specifically, My job to deal with Dark Guilds. And if your Guild Hall was destroyed because the Council wasn't doing it's job effectively you could've requested commissions either monetary or you could've had the council send man power to help rebuild." Mason explained, robbing Makarov is his soul.

Plop! The old man fell down on his back, his entire body had gone pale. "Why?... Why didn't anyone tell me?"

"Yeah it really sucks. You totally missed your window. You should've done something while you had the Council's attention, they have a tendency of pushing financial matters to the very back of their priority list. If you tried to file for commissions now, you could be on hold for three months." Mason continued, not really helping the situation.

" Uuuugggggghhhhhh….." Makarov Groaned.

"Don't worry." Mason walked past the old wizard, a toothy grin on his face. "You don't need a bunch of council goons. You got me. I'll help you." Mason walked towards the rubble pile that was once the Fairy Tail Guild Hall. As he got closer he saw numerous wizards struggling to move broken pillars, debris, and pieces of wood. "Huh, this is gonna be harder than I thought." Mason looked around, and that's when he came across a familiar face, the smoke wizard from the other day. "Oh, hey!"

The smoke mage stopped working to address Mason. "Oh it's you, the Council's Dragon Slayer. Where you able to get the master off the hook."

"Hey!... Wacko." Mason said after pausing a bit.

"It's WAKABA!" The gentleman replied.

"Yeah, whatever." Mason said in an uninterested tone, further frustrating the brown haired man. "Yeah I got your master out trouble, but I ended up getting assigned here as an adviser. Do you know if Natsu is around?"

"Oh, well that's…. Interesting." Wakaba commented, not really knowing how to feel about essentially being assigned a babysitter by the Magic Council. "No Natsu is not here, him and his team went out to find Lucy who went missing after the Phantom battle. They left yesterday."

"Oh, that's good. I didn't want him to know about this, just in case we ever got into a fight." Mason said to himself, causing Wakaba to raise a confused eyebrow. "I'm gonna help you with this mess."

"Wait... What does that mean?" Wakaba suddenly became concerned, but it was too late.

" **PHANTOM DRIVE!** " Massive amounts of Magic Energy began to erupt from Mason's body, clouding him in purple light, whipping up his hair and making his cloak float upwards with the magic current. The surge of magic energy got the attention of all the members of Fairy Tail, the Drive wasn't the most refined power boosting technique, but it was certainly effective for drawing out magic power. " **Dragon Slayer Forbidden Art: Poltergeist!** " With that, Mason's magic aura transformed itself into ten Arms, made of magic energy that stretched out from under his black coat.

Mason used his new arms to pick up large piles of wood and stacks of debris with ease. As the members of Fairy Tail just stood back watching. "Uh, hey… Where do these go." Mason said awkwardly.

"Over there…. I guess." A brown haired man with a bowl cut pointed to a upright wall that looked to have survived the battle against phantom.

"Okay, got it." Mason nodded, and with the help of his magic purple arms moved the building materials against the wall, and that was the limits of his magic power. The arms faded and Mason dropped to his knee to catch his breath.

"THAT'S IT! ALL THAT POWER AND HE ONLY MANAGED TO MOVE SOME WOOD AROUND!" The Guild Wizards erupted in unison.

"Leave me alone guys…." Mason said as he slowly regained his breath. "Those arms are good for more than just moving wood around. They can rip someone's mortal soul away from their body." Mason's face grew dark and serious, sending chills down the other wizard's spines. "Allegedly.." Mason smirked. 'Plus I'm still low on energy from my fight with Brosnan. Today really has been a long day' The dragon slayer monologued.

"Thank you." A kind voice called down to the kneeling Dragon Slayer. Mason looked up to see a bright smile, long white hair and an…. Ample bust. "You're the Rune Knight that helped us out against Jose right? Thanks for bringing our master back safe and sound." The beautiful woman reached her hand down to lift the fallen wizard back to his feet.

"And you look…. Familiar." Mason commented, as he took the woman's hand.

"Hi, I'm Mirajane Strauss. And this is my brother Elfman." Mirajane stepped back and introduced a large muscular man with spiky white hair.

"Hi, Mason Alastor. Something something captain of the whatever, just know I'm with the Magic Council." Mason grabbed Elfman by the hand and gave it a firm shake. "A pleasure to meet both of you."

"Woah you're a captain! So manly!" The large spiky haired man marveled at Mason's title.

"What brings you two Magnolia? Not that we don't appreciate you lending a helping hand." Mirajane asked with another bright smile.

Mason moved to speak, but was cut off by Master Makarov. "He's here to keep an eye on us. Apparently the council has had it with our reckless behavior and has assigned to watch us diligently and report on our every move." Makarov sounded slightly saddened and the rest of the guild had lowered their heads, as if they were puppies who had been told no for the first time.

"Yeah, but screw that!" Mason spoke up, shocking the members of Fairy Tail. That's when Mason pulled a white piece of paper. "AHEM! Captain Alastor will be charged with submitting a detailed weekly report to the Council with notes the day to day dealings of the Fairy Tail Guild." Mason finished reading the paper, crumpled it up and threw it away. "I don't know about you guys, but I'm not really much for paperwork. I'll just make something up for my report every week. You guys just do your thing, I won't interfere." Mason said with a smile, but the other wizards remained aghast.

…..

"Okay, you kids heard him. Get back to what you were doing, let's get this guild hall back in shape!" Makarov cried out, breaking the tension.

"RIGHT!" The rest of the Fairy Tail Guild cried out in unison.

"I'll help too!" Mason called out. "Just let me see the blueprints."

"I got them right here." Mira said, pulling a hand drawn piece of paper seemingly out of nowhere.

"Uhhh… Master, do you really think we can trust this guy." The hulking Elfman whispered to his master.

"Well….." Makarov looked on as Mason tried to read Mira's blueprints.

"Oh! So the fountain goes next to the giant fish statue." Mason spoke up, as he struggled to read the cryptic artwork.

"Exactly! You're the first person to get that." Mira said happily.

"Oh and is this a rope bridge between the two buildings?" Mason continued to study the drawing. "How fun."

"I don't think he's planning to rat us out, he doesn't have feel untrustworthy." Master Makarov continued. "He's another dumb kid. Like the rest of you."

* * *

(Later that day, Erza's POV)

'It's been a long day. We went to rescue Lucy from what we assumed was her overbearing father, but as it turned out Lucy had saved herself and didn't need us. Still after being away from your friends and your home, it's always nice to return to familiar…. Faces….' "What are you doing here!"

* * *

(Normal POV)

"What are you doing here!" Erza's face was flushed red as she pointed at Mason who sat chugging a mug of beer at the newly constructed bar.

"GO! GO! GO! GO!" The guild members cheered on as Mason finished mug.

"HAHA! I think that's a new record." Mason smiled, a red blush appeared on his face due to the alcohol.

The scantily clad Wizard Cana Alberona took the seat next to the white haired mage. "Way to go Soldier Boy. You can really hold your Liquor. So what else do you like to do for fun?" The brunette leaned in a bit closer.

Mason grinned back at the young woman. "I think another round might be fun, how about you?"

"I think that you and I are going to get along swimmingly." Kana said, inching closer still.

"HEY!" Erza roared at the two of them. "QUIT IGNORING ME! WHAT ARE YOU DOING HERE!" The red haired yelled so loud that Mason sobered up.

"What? Erza, when did you get back?" Mason jumped out of his seat. "Is Natsu with you?" Mason looked around over the the girls shoulder, looking for his fellow Dragon Slayer.

"Natsu? He went to take Lucy back to her house, why do you need natsu?" Erza realized she was getting sidetracked and quickly refocused. "That's not important, what are you doing here Mason? Don't tell me you joined Fairy Tail?"

"Not quite." Mason smirked. "The Fairy Tail Guild has been causing trouble for the Council for years now. Legends of the mighty Salamander and the terrifying Titania fuel the nightmares of my soldiers and even some of us in command are afraid of dealing with you lunetics. So I was assigned to keep an eye on you. I would've never guessed how much fun it would be to be in a guild."

"Well I'm glad you're having fun, but we need to talk." Erza said, now in serious mode. Mason responded with a confused raise of his eyebrow. "About the tower. How did you escape? And what about the others?"

Mason immediately went pale, well paler. "Uh… Well I don't really like talking about it…." Mason flipped his hood back up, concealing his face, but Erza stood strong determined to get her answer. "I guess you deserve to know…. The Council bought me an apartment up town, come by sometime and I'll tell you then. But I want to do it somewhere private."

Erza stood firm, but gave Mason a nod. "I understand. But I expect to here everything then."

"I'll tell you my life story if you want, except for the classified parts." Mason forced a smile. "Well I'll see you later fairy tail!" He called back to the out door bar.

"Wait!" Erza broke her serious mode. "You're leaving already? But I just got here, I figured we could catch up or something?"

"Maybe some other time. It's been a long day, I'd better call it a night." As he said that, Mason vanished in thin air using his invisibility.

The makeshift guild hall fell quiet until Mira turned to Erza and spoke up. "He seems really nice, but kinda awkward."

Erza slouched over and let out a sigh.

* * *

(Later, In Mason's apartment)

CLICK! The sound of a key opening the apartment door for the first time filled the young Mage's ear. "Home sweet home." Mason said as he swung the door open, holding a brown paper bag. "Woah… This place is nice." Mason entered the apartment and confirmed his statement.

The apartment was in the nicer part of Magnolia, It had one bedroom an Hybri Kitchen/Living room with all the top of the line magic appliances including a 60 inch magic television. The bedroom was connected to the large full bath that had a separate shower and tub. Mason through his luggage to the corner of the bedroom and plopped down face first on the massive bed.

"So soft…" Mason mutter as before eventually turning over onto his back. "The Council really went all out with this place." Mason sat up and lept out of bed, and picked the brown paper bag of the floor and took it to the kitchen. "Plus it's only a few blocks away from what sorcerer weekly dubbed the best cake shop in Fiore." He said putting the brown bag full of delicious cakes into the magic refrigerator. "Screw mess hall gruel, I'm having cake for breakfast."

"The first time five years I'll be able to sleep without listening to Tyson's terrible snoring, or Lahar's late night make out sessions with his pillow. I can't lie I don't remember the last time I was excited about sleeping." As Mason said this, he almost immediately triggered a memory.

* * *

(Flashback, 5 years earlier)

A young Mason, about thirteen years old, sheepishly followed a slightly younger looking Tyson Hammer through the halls of the Rune Knight's Barracks. He wore dirty clothes and his Magic cloak was tattered and torn and the young boy looked totally uncomfortable and suspicious of the new surroundings, but Tyson tried his best to comfort him.

"Don't worry kid, we're almost there. You'll be able to take shower and have good rest." The grey haired man said in a positive, booming voice.

"Why are you being so nice to me." The boy said haughtily. "Weren't we enemies just a little while ago, shouldn't you arrest me or something."

"Arrest you? Nonsense you're just a kid, what a waste of potential it would be if I arrested you." The hulking captain said back with a smile. "You could be a great soldier someday, all you need is some proper nurturing."

The two continued their walk until they came to their destination. A door without a knob or handle to open it. Tyson waved his hand in front of the door, his palm creating a red magic circle. The door generated a circle of it's own that matched the Head Captain's before opening automatically.

The two entered to find a large decorated room with two sets of bunk beds lining each of the walls. "You can stay here tonight. First you should get cleaned up their's a shower over…"

"Haaaaahhhhh…." Before Tyson could even finish, Mason had already selected a bed and fell asleep in a curled up ball. "Ssshhhhuuuhhhhh….."

"Hmmmm… Well goodnight kid."

* * *

(End of flashback)

Mason stood silently, still caught up reminiscing about the past when suddenly.

DING! DONG!

The doorbell went off, waking the Dragon Slayer from his trance. "What?!"

DING! DONG! DING! DONG! DING! DONG!

The bell began ringing faster and faster when Mason finally realized what was happening. "Hold on a second, I'm coming!"

DING! DONG! DING! DONG! DING! DONG! DING! DONG! DING! DONG!

The bell continued to ring as Mason made his way over to the door and slammed it open. "What do you want!?" In the doorway stood an armor clad Redhead, impatiently tapping her foot on the ground.

"Alright, I'm here like you asked. Now you'll tell me what happened at the tower right?" Erza said her arms crossed and her eyes closed.

"You know… I think I'm over the whole Hot Girl in Armor thing. I don't even really know why it's a thing, but it doesn't matter. After today I'm over it." Mason said as he stepped aside to let the girl in.

Erza marched into the apartment and took a look around. "Nice place." Her body started to emit a bright yellow light and when it faded her clothes had changed, she was now wearing light purple pajamas decorated with hot pink crosses.

"Um… What are you wearing." Mason asked in mixture of annoyance and tired acceptance.

"Pajamas. Proper sleepover attire." She spun around slowly, showing off her requip. "They're cute huh?"

"Sleep over? So much for my night alone." Mason said as he slowly marched over to the kitchen. "I'll make tea…" Mason quickly boiled a poured to classes of hot tea as Erza sat patiently on the couch, when the boy remembered something. "Oh yeah, I just moved in so I don't have much in terms of food, but would you like a slice of cake?" Mason asked, pulling the cake out of his fridge. When he turned around Erza was staring back at him with hungry, but confused eyes.

"Cake?" The Fairy Tail mage asked.

"Yeah, it's from the shop a few blocks away." Mason smiled as he cut and plated two pieces of the dessert.

"The best in the country." Erza started to drool as Mason dropped the piece in her lap before taking a seat next to her.

"That's what I've heard." Mason smirked at this reaction.

"Wait! We can't eat cake this late, it's already after dark." Despite what she said, Erza refused to put the cake down.

"I won't say anything." Mason said, stabbing a bite of cake on his fork then scooped it into his mouth.

Erza looked down at the cake and slowly, scooped a piece onto her own fork and slowly lifted it into her mouth. "Mmmmm…"

"Okay that was fun, but you wanted to know how I got out of the tower? I'm ready to tell you now." So Mason re-lived his escape from the tower of heaven as Erza listened intently. "And that's it. I just left. I went to chase a Dragon and it's been Seven years and I'm any closer to finding him than the day he left me. At the same time I left my friends when they needed me most, I should've stayed. I could've stayed and helped Jellal, his soul smelled tainted and rancid, but he wasn't too far gone."

"HAAHH!" Erza yawned, the cake and hot tea had taken its toll. "It's not your fault." Erza said as she tried to keep her eyes open. "It was too late for either of us. Something poisonous entered his heart and completely took over. Neither of us should feel… guilt…" And that's when Erza closed her eyes completely and drifted off.

"Well it was nice talking to you Erza." Mason used his telekinesis to move the sleeping woman from the couch into the bedroom and onto his bed. "Looks like you're gonna be sleeping in my new bed before me." The white haired boy laid down on the couch and stared up at the night's sky. "I better get some sleep too, tomorrow is gonna be a big day. You better be ready Natsu."

* * *

(END)


	5. Chapter 5

(Author's Notes)

I want to thank all of those who've been reading this story so far.

I Just want to let you guys know I'm very open to outside influences, so if you guys have any suggestions regarding the story, the fights, or any original characters you'd like to see in this story please let me know in the reviews or via PM.

Please enjoy the story.

Chapter 5

(Next Day)

"Uh…" Mason stirred in his sleep, as a ray of light passed through the window, over his eyes. "Woah, it's already morning." The phantom mage sat up on the couch, still in a tired daze. A small smile erupted on his face. "Today's the day."

* * *

(flashback)

After the battle with Jose and Phantom Lord, Mason had officially arrested Master Makarov of the Fairy Tail guild, causing an uproar in with the guild wizards. "Calm down, calm down. He's not actually going to jail. I arrest him, get some brownie points with the council, then explain to them it was Phantom Lord who started the fight. That way everybody wins." Mason smiled.

The Fairy Tail wizards didn't say anything, rather they stood idle as they exchange suspicious glances with each other.

"Huh... " Mason sighed. "Look, when the cavalry shows up they'll arrest all of you, innocent or not. Unless you want to spend the next couple of days dealing with questioning. You gotta let me take it from here."

The suspicious glances continued, but this time a bit of speaking emerged from the crowd. It didn't look like a decision would be made anytime soon. Until a voice emerged from the crowd.

"I trust him." Spiky hair, a toothy grin, and a long flowing scarf. Natsu walked out of the crowd of wizards with a friendly smile plastered across his face. "He's a Dragon Slayer. He smells like one too. How could I turn my back on my own kind."

Even the words of the Dragon Slayer wasn't enough to sway the crowd. "I trust him as well. And I'm going." Makarov spoke up, silencing his guild.

"Alright, then we better get going. Prisoner." Mason said with a smirk.

"Watch it kid! I'm only coming along to keep things from getting hectic for my guild!" Makarov scolded.

"Yeah, yeah. Let's get going." Mason said as he turned to leave the beach.

"Hey wait a second!" Natsu called out, prompting Mason to stop and face him. "Next time we meet, let's find out what's stronger. A Fire Dragon or a Phantom one."

"It's a deal." Mason smiled back.

* * *

(Flashback ends)

"Damn it Natsu. You went and got me excited. After the boss kicked my butt pretty bad, there's no way I'm losing this one." Mason sat back in his chair and began to daydream about his much anticipated fight, meanwhile.

"AHHH!" A feminine voice called out from the bedroom. "Mason! How dare you force me into your bed with you! I'll have your head!"

"Erza!" Mason called back from the living room. "I'm in here!" Erza walked out of the bedroom, still in her cross pajamas when. That's when she saw the bed dressings that decorated the couch and realized she had made an error. "And have been all night."

"Oh. My bad." The S-Class Wizard got incredibly sheepish. Her face turning as red as her hair. "Nevermind that!" Erza quickly changed the subject. "What's for breakfast?"

"Yeah… Well, I don't really have any food. Like I said I just moved in and I don't really have any breakfast." Mason said, going along with Erza. "There's some more cake, but I don't think…. What?" Mason couldn't help stare as Erza began to dig through his magic refrigerator.

"Breakfast is the most important meal of the day. A true a warrior can't afford to miss out." Erza said as she pulled the cake out of the fridge and prepared to dig in.

"I guess you're right." The Dragon Slayer smirked.

* * *

(Later at the destroyed Fairy Tail Guild Hall)

Erza and Mason slowly approached the construction site, the latter tried to act cool but couldn't hide his excitement. "So you plan to go and fight Natsu, first thing in the morning. You Dragon Slayer's all need to work on a little thing called patience."

"Yeah, that's the plan. You don't think he'll mind do you?" Mason replied.

"No, on the contrary. I'm sure he's looking forward to it as well." Erza closed her eyes and smiled. "But you really should-oof!" Erza stopped in her tracks as Mason's arm blocked her path.

"Sssshhhh…. I smell a dragon." Mason paused, using his nose he scanned the air. "There! Found you!" With that, Mason dashed forward, following the his nose and leaving Erza behind in the dust.

"Hey!" The red head called back. "I wasn't finished talking yet!"

Mason dashed through the makeshift entrance of the Guild Hall, that's when he spotted the back of a spiky pink head with a long white scarf tied around his neck sitting next to a girl with blonde hair. "NATSU DRAGNEEL!" Mason lept into the air to attack, his arm began to glow with a bright purple energy. "DON'T TELL YOU FORGOT! YOU OWE ME A FIGHT!"

"Forgot?" The pink haired wizard smirked. "LIKE HELL!" Natsu turned around, his arm engulfed in burning orange flames.

" **PHANTOM DRAGON!** "

" **FIRE DRAGON!** "

"COOL IT!" A voice called out, stopping Natsu in his tracks and causing Mason to lose moment and fall face first on the ground.

"What's the big idea!" The two Dragon Slayers called back to the interrupter, but then grew pale seeing who it was.

Erza stood at the entrance, fully equipped in her battle armor. "I think this guild hall has seen enough destruction at the hands of Dragon Slayers. If you two really have to fight, take it somewhere else." Erza narrowed her glare at Mason. "You'd know that if you had let me finish."

"Uh, my bad…." Mason said, pushing himself up off the ground where he was met by a new face, that was strangely familiar. "AHH!" Mason stumbled backwards startled, almost frightened.

"Uh, are you okay?" The blonde girl who was sitting next to Natsu asked.

"Oh, sorry. It's just your face. You remind me of someone… Scary." Mason said, his eyes still wide from shock. But in his mind repressed memories began to resurface.

* * *

(Flashback)

"Ha.. ha.. Ha.." A young mason stood hunched over, panting and sweating. His face covered in scratches and bruises. Across from him stood a 14 year old girl with tomboyish style, chocolate brown eyes and her hair tied up in a ponytail. Mason gritted his teeth and stood tall once again. " **PHANTOM DRAGON SHOT!** " The small Dragon Slayer fired a bolt of purple magic from the palm of his hand.

"Really is that it?" The girl simply smirked. Her arm began to glow a bright yellow light, before transforming into a gigantic armored fist that she used to punch the energy ball into nothingness. "My turn, I got a new one for you. **GOLDEN EYE! BRILLIANT SHOT!** "

Her brown eyes began to glow a vibrant gold, before a devastating blast of light magic erupted and converged into a massive yellow laser.

"AAHHH! **PHANTOM DRAGON'S BARRIER!** " A magic barrier formed in front of the white haired boy, but it was utterly obliterated by the blast of magic, leaving the boy smoldering on the ground.

"Hahaha! That was fun! You are definitely stronger than all the other soldiers. That attack would've probably killed any of them, but look at you. Still breathing." The tomboy sat down on the beaten Dragon Slayers head. "You ready to go again?"

"I swear one of these days I'm gonna kick your butt." Mason growled up at the girl.

"What was that?" The brunette flexed her armored arm, sending chills down the Dragon Slayer's spine.

"SORRY BOSS!"

* * *

(Flashback ends)

Mason couldn't help but stare back at the blonde, and it made him shiver. "Ugh.. I think it's your eyes… So scary." Mason flipped up his hood to shield his face.

"Well soorrrrry! Jeez!" The girl turned away with a huff. "I was gonna thank you. Erza said you helped out against Phantom and Natsu told me you were a Dragon Slayer like him. But if you're gonna be a jerk then you can forget it."

"Rude and scary…" Mason began to cower form the blonde.

"You think this is scary? You haven't seen anything yet." Natsu said with a nod.

"Okay both of you need to shut up about me being scary!" The girl yelled back at the pink haired wizard. "Anyway. My name is Lucy Heartfilia, but everybody just calls me lucy. And you are."

"Heartfilia?... Why is that so familiar." Mason started to scratch his chin through his hood, forgetting the part of the conversation where he's supposed to introduce himself.

"Okay now who's being rude!?" Lucy yelled at the soldier.

"That's it! Jude Heartfilia, that's the guy who financed the Phantom Lord incident. I'm pretty sure I gotta arrest him." Mason said, clearly proud that he had remembered.

"Oh, yeah that's my dad…" Lucy lowered her head as she said this. "Do you think it's possible for you to not arrest him? I know he did some bad stuff, but can you just let it slide?"

"Sure." Mason said, without a second thought.

"What? Just like that. I thought you council guys were supposed to take your jobs super seriously." Lucy argued sceptically.

"Think about it lucy." Natsu stepped up. "Why would anyone wanna go arrest some old guy. Where's the fun in that."

"Yeah, he probably wouldn't even be able to fight back. BORING!" Mason crossed his arms. "Plus it's a lot of paperwork."

"Wow… I feel so much safer knowing that this is what the Magic Council considers elite." Lucy rolled her eyes.

"Anyway, Natsu I'm bored lets fight already." Mason said, turning to the fire mage.

"I'm bored too, but Erza said we couldn't fight in the Guild Hall… I guess we could do it in town." Natsu suggested.

"No you idiot!" Lucy interrupted. "You guys will wreck the whole town!"

"What's this I hear about a fight?" A shirtless boy with messy black hair and cold eyes approached the group. "I'm always down to exchange blows."

"Get outta here Gray! This is Dragon Slayer business you're not invited!" Natsu growled at the half naked man.

"Yeah, Natsu and I are about to throw down. But we can't figure out where we're gonna do it." Mason explained. "Erza said we couldn't do it here. And Loopy said we couldn't fight in the city."

"It's Lucy! And you still haven't introduced yourself!" Lucy yelled, but no one was paying attention.

"Hey I remember you! You're that Magic Council guy who helped out with Phantom Lord. Erza said you guys were friends a long time ago and Natsu said you're a Dragon Slayer." Gray said. "I'm Gray Fullbuster, thanks for the help."

"Mason Alastor, it's nice to meet you." The cloaked figure extended a hand to the ice wizard who in turn shook it.

"Oh, so now you remember your manners." Lucy griped.

"Anyway, if you guys are looking for a place to fight. Why don't you go down to the beach?" Gray suggested. "It's not too far from here."

"I was just about to say that!" Natsu blurted out. "But good idea anyway. Let's go."

* * *

(Beach)

Natsu, Mason, Lucy, Grey, and Erza made their way to a sandy beach surrounded by cliffs making it the Ideal size for a battle. The three spectators made their way to the sidelines, leaving the two Dragon Slayers to battle it out.

"I've been waiting for this fight, Natsu. Don't disappoint me." Mason said as he through his cloak off. The fabric drifted over to the Fairy Tail wizards before neatly folding itself next to them. "I'm not using any special tricks. Your Dragon Slayer magic against mine."

"Sounds good to me." Natsu smiled. "Let's get this started."

Erza used her Requip Magic, to summon a flag that she held high over her head. "BEGIN!" She dropped her arm, and the battle began.

" **PHANTOM DRAGON!** " Mason's cheeks began to swell with magic power.

" **FIRE DRAGON!** " Natsu did the same.

" **RRRRRROOOOOOOOAAAAAAARRRRRRRR!** " The two mages released their attacks, a massive cyclone of ghosts collided with an enormous plume of fire.

BOOOMMMM! The collision of the two breath attacks resulted in huge sandy explosion.

" **FIRE DRAGON IRON FIST!** " Natsu was the first to move. He leapt through the sand and smoke with a fist full of scorching hot flames. But Mason stood pat, as Natsu and his attack simply went through him. "Whoa, what the hell?!" Natsu said as he slid across the sand to catch himself.

"Physical attacks like that, even if they are made of flames, can't hurt me." Mason smirked. "Think about, you can't just punch a ghost. But my attacks on the other hand." Mason's

Hand began to glow purple. " **PHANTOM DRAGON SHOT!** " Mason fired an energy blast forward, but Natsu blocked it with his burning fists.

"So I can't punch you. But I can still burn you! Take this!" Natsu threw a massive blast flames from his hand, that consumed mason. "Haha. Hot enough for ya?"

"GGAAAHHH!" Mason blew the flames off of himself. " **PHANTOM DRAGON SHOT!** " Mason fired another energy blast that Natsu was once again able to block by crossing his arms.

"Ha! You need to learn some new tricks! I've already seen th-huh?" When Natsu looked back up Mason had disappeared.

" **PHANTOM DRAGON VANISHING FIST!** " Mason was suddenly to Natsu's left where he fired a punch charged with magic energy directly into the pink haired wizard's jaw causing him to stumble backwards.

"AHHGGG! That was a cheap shot!" Natsu called out, but his opponent wasn't quite finished.

" **PHANTOM DRAGON STRIKE!** " Mason's legs were consumed by purple light and used them to fire a swinging kick that natsu managed to duck away from, but even after missing he kept up the onslot. Kick after kick, jabs and swipes he kept Natsu on the defensive. But after awhile Natsu was able to pick up on his rhythm and he grabbed Mason by the ankle.

"Enough!" Natsu tossed him with all his might, but Mason was able to catch himself mid air using levitation, but Natsu wasn't finished. " **FIRE DRAGON ROAR!** "

An enormous amount of fire consumed Mason, but after the attack had cleared it turned out that Mason had shield the attack with his magic Barrier. Without saying a word the Phantom Dragon raised his hand before slowly closing it causing the nearby cliffside to shatter under the force of his telekinesis. Then with a wave of his arm the crushed rock began to fly at Natsu.

"YAAHH!" Natsu managed to avoid the rocks for awhile. Jumping over a few, or smashing them with his fist. But eventually his luck ran out. A massive boulder smashed into him from his blind spot. "AAHHAHAAAA!" The impact sent Natsu flying, before crashing back into the sand.

Mason landed and slowly made his way over to Natsu. Then with his telekinesis lifted Natsu up off the ground. "Pull." Mason said with a smirk, and immediately flung Natsu up into the air as he charged an energy ball in the other. " **PHANTOM DRAGON SHOT!** "

BOOOOMMM! The energy made contact with the defenseless, Airborne Natsu resulting in a large explosion over the beach.

Gray and Lucy looked on in shock as Erza sat back with a puzzled look on her face.

"Uh Erza…" Gray spoke up. "Your old friend…."

"Is kinda ruthless.." Lucy finished.

"It's so hard…" Erza mutter as she looked on at the battle at hand. "Who do I root for…. I've known Natsu for years now, but I knew Mason first. I don't agree with the way Mason is fighting, but I can't argue with the results." Erza continued to mumble as her friends looked on in disbelief.

Once again Mason slowly approached, another energy ball charging in his hand. "Sorry Natsu, I don't know about your Dragon but Buruut taught me to not only win a fight, but to beat my opponent. And the Rune Knights taught me to treat every battle like it was my last, needless to say I have difficulty holding back. Looks like this is going to the last attack, so to answer your question from earlier. It looks to me like the Phantom Dragon is stronger. Huh?" Natsu once again grabbed Mason by the ankle and pulled him downwards.

" **FIRE DRAGON IRON FIST!** " As Mason fell downward, his bottom jaw was met by flaming knuckle, and he was sent flying backwards. "Fine!" Natsu spoke up in his serious voice. "If you wanna fight dirty, lets fight dirty. HHHAAAAAAAHHHH!" Natsu's body became engulfed in flames. "Prepare to face my Flames of Emotion!"

"Ha! I hoped you had some fight left in you! **PHANTOM DRAGON ROAR!** " Mason let out another mouthful of purple phantoms straight at Natsu.

" **FIRE DRAGON ROAR!** " Natsu let out the largest plume of fire yet, it complete consumed Mason's roar then his entire body.

"AAHHHH!" Mason went flying, but once again caught himself mid air. "That's quite the power boost, huh? But it still won't be enough to beat me. **PHANTOM DRAGON LANCE!** " Mason's body was cloaked in purple energy before he hurled himself at Natsu.

" **FIRE DRAGON SWORD HORN!** " Natsu jumped upwards, his body covered by flames and the two Dragon Slayers clashed in the sky above.

"HAAAAHHHHHH!" The two mages yelled as their respective attacks clashed against each other. But rather than letting their their clash play out, Mason grabbed Natsu by the chest and threw him down to the ground.

Natsu was quick to recover, but as he climbed to his feet a small purple magic circle appeared on the pink haired wizard's chest.

" **PHANTOM DRAGON'S TERRIBLE RUNE!** " Mason called out activating the magic circle to activate, sending a wave of painful purple electricity across Natsu's body.

"AAAHHHHHH!" Natsu cried out in pain, but with a burst of his fire magic the seal faded.

"It's over Natsu, here's my finishing move!" Mason called out from the sky above. He held out both arms, and a large, purple, magic circle formed at his hands. " **PHANTOM DRAGON'S CANNON!** " An enormous blast of purple energy exploded from Mason's hands, headed straight for Natsu.

"Not so fast!" Natsu held both his hands above his head, and a massive fireball formed between them. " **FIRE DRAGON'S BRILLIANT FLAME!** " The massive fireball plowed through Mason's energy attack and straight into the phantom dragon slayer.

"AAHHHHH!" Mason was consumed by the fireball , resulting in a large explosion.

KAABOOOOOMMMMM! THUD!

Mason landed in the sand with a thud. "UGGHHH! That one hurt. I guess you beat me." Mason said as he climbed back to his feet, rubbing his bruised head.

"WHAT?! But you're still conscious, why are giving up." Natsu whined.

"I think we've gone far enough, you beat me. I still have a long way to go. But right now you're stronger than me." Mason shrugged with a smile.

"Hmmmm…." Natsu glared back at the white haired boy. "I think you're lyin… I think you're holding something back."

"I told you I wanted this fight to be fair, I gave you everything I could without cheating. You won." Mason pleaded with the sceptic mage.

"Hmmm…. Fine!" Natsu crossed his arms. "We're done for now, but we're gonna finish this later. And when we do, you'd better not hold back."

"Alright, deal." Mason smiled. "This was my first fight with another with another real Dragon Slayer. It was a lot of fun. Thank you Natsu."

Natsu's suspiciousness eventually faded and he smiled back. "Yeah it was fun, let's do it again some time."

* * *

(END)


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

'Dear Status report.' Mason narrated as he jotted down on a piece of paper. 'I'm not actually gonna send this to the Magic Council, but this week has been so crazy I felt like I had to write it down. Let's see. I guess the first big thing that happened was that I met Makarov's Grandson Laxus, he seems nice. Then Mirajane invited me to go see a play with her. She's very nice, and a supermodel, so it was cool spending time with her, but the play kinda sucked. Worst portrayal of a Dragon I've ever seen. Then I went on a mission's with Erza and her team where we beat up a cult. One of the FairyTail Members, Loke went missing and we spent hours looking for him. It turns out he's a space cat or something, and now Natsu's girlfriend has a contract with him. So yeah a weird week so far.'

Mason admired his poorly put together writing, when suddenly there was a ring at his door bell.

DING! DONG!

"I'm coming!" Mason put down the paper and walked over to the door. "Hello." He said opening the large wooden door. Behind it was a rather nervous looking Erza. "Oh, Erza. What's up?"

"HERE!" She stuck what looked to be a ticket straight out in front of her, not making eye contact.

"Huh? What's this?" Mason asked, as he took the small piece of paper from her hands and examined it.

"Well.. Loke got us to tickets to the Akane Resort to thank us for helping him out, and there was an extra one. So since you helped out, we figured you should have it." Erza explained. "So do you wanna go?"

"The beach?... Sure, sounds fun." Mason smiled as he pocketed the ticket.

"Great! We leave tomorrow!" It seemed as though Erza had regained her confidence. "Meet us at the train station at Noon. Don't be late." With that the Redhead slammed the door closed and walked away.

Once she left, the color drained from Mason face and he lowered his. "The Akane Resort is on the ocean south of Magnolia. That means…. THAT IT'S OVER THREE HOURS AWAY BY TRAIN! NOOOOOO!"

* * *

(Later at the Beach)

 _Akane Beach, the most popular tourist destination in Fiore. Among its many attractions is the first class amusement park, five-star hotel and the huge sandy beach adjacent to the sea. Also famous for the five-star restaurants and casino housed in hotel._

"Wow the beach!" A bikini clad Lucy, marveled at the waves crashing onto the shore. "The water is so blue."

"Aye sir!" A smiling blue cat replied as he used his palm to shield his eyes from the sun light as he looked on at the horizon.

"Alright! Lets party!" Natsu roared, before running for the waves.

"That Idiot. Impatient as ever." Gray, who had stayed back with Erza and Mason muttered to himself, before taking off after Natsu. "Wait up Dumbass! We haven't even set up yet?"

"Set up? What exactly are we supposed to set up?" Erza asked. "I didn't bring an umbrella, did you?"

"Of course I did." Mason smirked. "I always come prepared." Mason ripped off his black cloak, revealing his swimsuit. Black, baggy swim trunks with the magic council insignia in blue on the front, near the opening for the right leg. " **Umbrella.** " Mason channeled his magic into the fabric, stinfining it and changing its shape to that of large beach umbrella with an alternating black and white pattern. "Well there we go. Now come on let's have some fun." Mason shot the Redhead a bright smile.

"O-okay…"

Splashing in the sea, playing in the sand, it was a much needed stent of relaxation for the young wizards, especially considering what was to come.

"Aaaahhhh…." Mason let out a content sigh as he laid down in the sand beneath the shade of the umbrella. "I don't remember the last time I had a day off like this. As much fun as busting Dark Guilds and cults are. It's a lot of work. Constant training, Months of surveillance day and night and so much paperwork. I Need a day off like this." Mason closed his eyes. "There's just something familiar about this place that I can't shake." Mason muttered as he dozed off.

* * *

(Flashback)

A Young Mason, drowsy, was struggling to push himself off of a sandy beach. "Uh… Dad?" Mason looked around at the new area and immediately knew something was wrong. "Dad! Dad! Where did you go?!"

Mason began to pace back and forth across the beach shouting for his dad, but received no response. "Dad! DAAADDDDD! BURUUT! DAD! WHERE ARE YOU?!"

As Mason continued to pace back and forth he didn't notice a stone buried in the sand and tripped over it, falling face first. Mason pushed himself up so that he was on his knees, but as he did this tears began to form in his eyes and he started to cry. "DAAADDDD! I'M NOT READY YET! I'M NOT READY FOR YOU TO LEAVE ME YET!"

* * *

(End of Flashback)

"AAHHH!" Woke up sweating, and immediately sat up. "HA… HA… HA… I just remembered. I hate the beach…" Mason mumbled, wiping the sweat from his brow before his attention was drawn to the hotel. "But… I don't hate a bit of gambling." The Dragon Slayer smirked.

* * *

(Later at the Akane Resort Casino)

"Seven! We have another winner!" The game manager at the craps table announced to part of the Casino. "That's five wins in a row! This man is on fire!"

Mason stood at the end of the table wearing a tuxedo with a black bow tie as he juggled another pair of dice in his hands. "What can I say? I got the magic touch." Mason turned to a Black haired girl to his right who was watching with her friends. "Wanna give me a little luck." The group began to giggle and the girl in question blew lightly on the dice and mason's hand.

Mason threw the dice down onto the craps table hard enough so that the bounced against the wall at the other end. The first dice landed on six and the second one that was still bouncing began to faintly glow purple, not bright enough for anyone to see before landing on five.

"Eleven! That's another winner!" The announcer exclaimed for the crowd. "This man can't be stopped!"

"You said it. Not me." Mason said with a grin as he picked the dice back up off the table. "Last round, but I think I need a bit more luck, does anyone wanna give me a hand?

"Ooo! Me! Me!" An upbeat voice called out from the crowd.

"Alright, just…" Mason dropped the dice as a frighteningly familiar smell invaded his nose. "You!" He turned to see a very cat like girl, complete with kitty ears and painted on whiskers. "Millianna! What the h-mmmmm!" an orange rope wrapped itself around Mason's body and his mouth, keeping him from speaking or moving.

"Awh! It's been so many years, but you still remember me Ma-Kun!" The Catgirl taunted before pushing Mason over, causing him to fall to the ground. "Sorry Ma-kun, but we need to go find sister. Jellal wants to see her ASAP! We'd take you back too, but he doesn't want you. So bye!"

"MMMMM!" Mason said, his voice muffled by rope. 'Millianna! She's after Erza!' Mason thought to himself. 'She said "We" does that mean that the others are here too, and how the heck did she learn to use magic. Its binding magic, but it doesn't look like it has any special properties. So I should be able to phase through it, like regular rope.' Mason clenched his fist and began to use his Intangibility, just like he hypothesized the rope fell right off of his body. "Ha! Alright! Now time to go get some answers."

Mason ran through the Casino scanning for Millianna, when he heard a the cry of a familiar voice. "SOMEBODY! HELP!"

"Lucy!" Mason exclaimed. He turned his head to where the scream came from, before disappearing from sight. When he arrived he found a wide cast of characters huddled around a tied up Lucy.

"We got what we came for. Let's go home." A titan of a man, who held an unconscious Erza, said to his associates.

"You sure she's alright?" A younger looking man with brown skin and spiky yellow hair and a high pitched voice asked, sounding almost concerned.

"Yeah she's fine." A man made of blocks, who spoke with a bad old New York accent, answered as he held up his arm which had been converted into a gun. "She's just takin a little nap."

"Wow…" Mason became visible once again, standing against a nearby pillar with his arms crossed and a cocky smirk on his face. "I recognized Sho immediately, and I pieced together that the big guy is Simon after awhile. But jeez Wally, I hate to say it but you got bit buy the ugly bug growing up."

"What the hell!" Wally shouted, stammering backwards in confusion and a bit of fear.

"Millianna!" Sho yelled with a whine. "You said you took care of him."

"I did!" She cried back. "I swear! He was tied up just a few seconds ago!" Millianna squirmed.

"Quit arguing you's two!" Wally silenced the other two. "I'm about to put this fool, six feet under!" Wally cried out pointing his rifle arm at Mason and firing a magic bullet at him. Rather than blasting him, the magic bullet passed through masson, dispersing his body like it was smoke. "What the!?"

"Wow Wally." Mason reformed behind Wally, startling the block man. "That's some interesting Magic, but it's nothing compared to mine." Mason planted his foot, glowing with purple magic, into Wally's back and sent him flying. Then he waved his hand over in Lucy's direction and used his telekinesis to free her from the bindings. "Go find, Natsu or Gray. Get help."

"Right!" The blonde ran out of harm's way as fast as she could.

Millianna looked down at the unconscious block man and began to growl. "Wally! Grrrr! I don't care if you are Ma-kun! Don't hurt wally!" Millianna cried as she tried pouncing on the Dragon Slayer. Her attack simply passed through Mason, causing the girl to fall face first on the ground behind him. "Ouch! That hurt!" Millianna shook off the fall, but when she looked back up at her opponent her eyes grew large. "Ma-kun?"

Mason looked back over his shoulder at Millianna, then raised his hand and pointed it at her. " **PHANTOM DRAGON SHOT!** " Mason fired an energy blast at the girl, blowing her away.

"GGHHH! TAKE THIS!" Sho threw a stack of magic cards at mason.

" **PHANTOM DRAGON!** " Mason began to inhale large quantities of air. " **ROAR!** " Mason spit out a spiral of glowing purple phantoms that disintegrated Sho's cards and collided with the blonde mage, knocking him away. "You idiots. Magic ability and magic power are two very different things. You guys just throw out full power spells without any skill are strategy. You guys may know how to use magic but you have no idea how to fight, but I guess that coward Jellal wouldn't teach you that. Would he."

Mason turned around and stared Simon dead in the eyes. "Let her go… I'm disappointed in all of you. You're all weak and pathetic. Crawl back to your stupid tower, and tell Jellal that if we wants Erza, he's gonna have to come get her himself. And when he does I'm gonna beat the crap out of him!"

Simon set Erza down gently and stepped away from her. His single eye then shot a narrow glare back at the boy. "You talk to much." Simon then fired a dark energy blast from his eye.

Mason summoned a barrier and easily blocked the attack, resulting in a cloud of smoke. "Is that it? I thought at least you'd put up some sort of fight. Huh?" Through the cloud smoke, a massive fist fired forward, smashing Mason's stomach. "ACK!" The Dragon Slayer spit up a bit of saliva as he stumbled backwards. "Not bad. HHAAAAHHH!" Mason charged forward, his fist cloaked in magic energy.

"Gggrrrrr! Listen!" Simon yelled, as he grabbed Mason's arm, halting his attack.

"NO WAY! **PHANTOM DRAGON SHOT!** " Mason, with his other hand, fired a powerful energy blast directly into Simon's stomach and while the giant was stunned Mason capitalized. " **PHANTOM DRAGON STRIKE!** " Mason spun around and slammed his foot into Simons head.

Now free from his grasp Mason jumped backwards and took another deep breath. " **PHANTOM DRAGON ROAR!** " Mason blasted away Simon, but the flurry of attacks had heavily depleted his magic. Evident by his heavy panting and sweat. "Had enough yet?"

'LISTEN TO ME!' Mason's head began to ring with Simon's voice.

"Ugh! What the hell!" Mason looked around the room, searching for the origin of the voice.

'Calm down, I'm using telepathy.' Simon informed him as he climbed back to his feet. 'Now listen, the R-System has been completed.' Mason's eyes widened in terror. 'And Jellal has selected Erza to be the sacrifice, but even if we fail in taking her Jellal will just select another sacrifice and activate the tower anyway. Trust me I've thought everything through, the only way we defeat him is by bringing him Erza.'

Mason paused a second and tried to comprehend the information he just recieved. "Ok.." He eventually said. "You can take her, but you'll have to take me too. And I get the first crack at Jellal." Mason set his conditions and Simon was hesitant for a moment but eventually agreed.

'Fine.' He answered telepathically. 'But your going to have to do everything I say.'

"Auuhhh… My aching head.." Wally groaned as he slowly climbed back to his feet.

"Ugh… Wally? What happened?" Millianna asked, as she slowly climbed back to her feet.

"Take this!" Simon called out as a magic circle formed in front of his eye. " **DARK BURST!** "

A yellow light began to form around Mason, growing more and more intense. "AAAAHHHHHH!" The Dragon Slayer screamed in pain before the eventual.

KAABBBOOOOOOMMMMM! Mason exploded, without leaving a trace behind. No body, not a scrap of clothing, just ash.

"Holy.." Wally couldn't believe his eyes.

"You completely destroyed him…. I know he was fighting against us, but he was our friend." Sho starred on in disbelief.

"WAH! NO! MA-KUN!" Millianna began to sob.

"Jellal ordered us to eliminate anyone who got in our way." Simon said as he picked Erza back up off the ground. "I won't let anyone keep me from heaven. Even if he was our friend once. Now let's get back to the ship."

* * *

(On the ship)

Simon stood alone on the bow, staring off into the night's horizon. "Are you there?" He said softly.

"Uhhhh.." Mason made himself slightly more visible, his face green with motion sickness. "How much longer…" He tried his best to whisper, but his body wasn't exactly cooperating at this point.

"Not much longer. Try to keep yourself together. If you puke on the boat, it'll blow your cover." Simon said, half joking.

"I'm sorry… I feel like I'm dying…." Mason began to hunch over, but nothing helped.

Simon began to stare back into the horizon, as a tall slender tower became visible in the distance. "Mason are you ready?"

The Dragon Slayer seemed to immediately shape up, and refocus on the task at hand. "Yeah, my magic power has been recovering nicely, I should be at full strength by the time we get there."

"That's not what I mean. I'm saying are you ready to go back to the tower. You were almost as close to him as Erza, are you ready to face Jellal.." Simon put a strong hand on Mason's shoulder in an attempt to comfort him.

"Y-yeah. I think so." Mason stood strong and stared back at the tower, but inside he was having some doubt. 'Jellal….'

* * *

(Flashback)

A blue haired boy worked tirelessly in the mind, constantly pounding his pickaxe into stone, but even though he was giving it everything he had he was working at a rather slow pace. 'Damnit!' The boy cursed himself. ' I spent too much time last night digging the escape tunnel, I'm exhausted. I just gotta hope that the guard doesn't notice.'

"Hey you! Quit slacking off." Almost immediately a guard began to pressure the young Jellal. "C'mon Faster! I said Faster! Don't make me hurt you." The guard pulled back his whip ready to strike. "If you're gonna be lazy you're gonna get hurt!" He lashed with his whip, causing Jellal to wince prematurely, but the blow never came. "What the!?" Mason had grabbed the whip out of the air before it could strike Jellal.

"Leave him alone." Mason said, using his enhanced strength to yank the weapon from the guards hand.

"Why you! If you weren't a potential sacrifice, I'd kill you right now!" The guard yelled back at the boy.

"I'd like to see you try!" Mason glared back.

"That's it! Guards!" Soon the two boys were surrounded. "Let's teach'em both a lesson about respecting authority!"

"Right!" The other guards said in unison. They ganged up and gave the two boys a nasty beating, leaving them bruised on the ground when it was all over.

"Aaahhh! I'm sorry." Mason apologized. "I meant to help, but it seems like I made things worse."

"No… That was awesome!" Jellal sounded almost ecstatic. "I've never seen anyone stand up to them before. If we show them we can't just be pushed around they'll know they can't control us and if that happens we'll be one step closer to true freedom. You know, you don't really talk too much. You've been here almost a week, but you still seem so distant. Turns out your pretty nice."

"Did you think I was mean before?" Mason looked over to ask.

"Well I didn't. But you do come off as kinda unapproachable. I'm pretty sure Sho is afraid of you." Jellal responded with a bright friendly smile.

"Oh, sorry… My bad." Mason was about to go quiet again, but then he realized that was the problem. "I was raised by a Dragon. You guys are the first other humans I've ever met. I don't know how to make friends."

"Seriously?" Jellal sat back up and looked over at Mason. "Well you know what? From now on you and I are friends."

Mason sat up and stared back at Jellal looking utterly stunned. "For real?"

"Yup! From now on the two of us are best friends!" Jellal stuck his hand out to shake and slowly but surely Mason met it, confirming the friendship.

* * *

(End of Flashback)

"Uhhhuuhhh…" Mason shook of the chills and returned to reality. "When the time comes I'll be ready!" Mason clenched his fist. "Now excuse me, I have to do something." Mason vanished into thin air, before Simon could reply.

"I'm sorry my friend." Simon continued anyway. "But I don't think you will be."

Mason, under the cover of his invisibility, slipped down to the ships hull where Erza was tied up and being observed by Sho. " **SLEEP!** " Mason chanted, forcing Sho to drop to the floor and fall into a deep sleep, before he fully revealed himself.

"Mason! You're here!" Erza cried out in relief but she was swiftly shushed by th the Dragon Slayer.

"SShhhhh… You have to be quiet." Mason whispered, then using a bit more telekinesis, he freed Erza from her bindings. "If you want to leave, now's your chance to jump ship. We are approaching the tower."

"Wait, what about you." Erza whispered back, her voice flooded with concern. " Don't tell me you plan on staying."

"I have to." Mason's eyes burned with fierce passion. "I'm going to defeat Jellal before anyone else gets hurt. And I'm gonna do it alone!"

* * *

(Author's note)

Alright, another chapter done. I was on a roll this week. Now I have a question for you audience. Would you rather me do the Tower of Heaven Arc over multiple short chapters like this one, or one long chapter. Keep in mind I'm only doing the Arcs from Mason's POV. Let me know in the review section. Till next time.


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7

 _Night turns to day as we find the ship carrying heroes entering port at the infamous Tower of Heaven…_

"Well, gang. We made it. Home sweet home." Wally said, still in character. "Who should receive the honor of tell the boss that our mission was a success?"

"Ooo! Me! I wanna tell the boss!" Millianna jumped up and waved her arms, hoping to be picked.

"I'll do it." Simon said, stoic as ever. "I need to take responsibility and own up to killing our brother. He and Jellal were close once, I'm sure news of his death would be displeasing."

"Awh… You're gonna make me tear up…" Mason's disembodied voice came over the ship, before he manifested himself out of thin air. "But saying I'm dead would be a bit of an exaggeration." Mason grinned.

"What the hell! The Wise Guy tricked us!" Wally quickly summoned his arm cannon, but Mason moved like a blur leaping into the air. "You think you're smart!? I can hit you even if you are in the air!" Wally pointed his gun up above him and fired a bullet of light at Mason.

The Dragon Slayer was done played around, he turned back to face the attack his red eyes burning intensely. " **PHANTOM DRAGON ROAR!** " Mason let rip a swarm of spiraling phantoms that consumed Wally's attack and went on to smash a hole directly through the center of ship.

"My ride…." Wally looked on as the boat began taking on water and slowly began to sink down into the ocean below.

Mason meanwhile continued to fly through the air, until he landed on the side of the tower that once served as his home. "GRRRR! AAHHH!" Mason smashed open the wall and entered the tower along with a cloud of smoke and dust.

"HALT!" A group of dark mages had gathered to meet the intruder, but they were ill prepared for what they were about to face. Mason rose from the ground, his body concealed by smoke only his silhouette and two piercing red eyes could be made out through the clouds.

"Where the hell is Jellal!" Mason growled.

"Why would we tell you anything? Men prepared to fire." The head mage said with a wave of his staff.

"That's too bad. I don't have time for this." Mason replied and a purple light began to shine through the smoke. " **PHANTOM DRAGON CANNON!** " The energy blast barreled through the crowd of mages knocking at least a dozen of them away And robbing them of conciousness.

"He's, a monster!" A thug called out. "AAAAHHHHH!" He cried as a knee planted itself in his face, K'Oing him.

"Outta the way…" Mason threatened as he continued to stop his way through the cursed tower.

* * *

(Flashback)

"Mason! You're here!" Erza cried out in relief but she was swiftly shushed by th the Dragon Slayer.

"SShhhhh… You have to be quiet." Mason whispered, then using a bit more telekinesis, he freed Erza from her bindings. "If you want to leave, now's your chance to jump ship. We are approaching the tower."

"Wait, what about you." Erza whispered back, her voice flooded with concern. " Don't tell me you plan on staying."

"I have to." Mason's eyes burned with fierce passion. "I'm going to defeat Jellal before anyone else gets hurt. And I'm gonna do it alone!"

"What!? Are you kidding? There's no way you can beat him by yourself." Erza pleaded as Mason's fist began to shake.

"I'm stronger than you think. Natsu was right, I was holding back in our fight." Mason started grinding his teeth, he hated the thought but to defeat Jellal he might need to use Drive. "If I have to, there's a whole other level of power I have at my disposal."

"The Drive technique? Is that your trump card?" Erza answered sounding less than impressed. "The Master told me about it. A magic amplification spell like no other he's seen before. But you can't beat Jellal by just powering up. He's too much for you alone."

"Grrrr….. You think too highly of him!" Mason growled and his eyes flashed purple. Millianna's magic Rope then wrapped itself back around Erza, this time covering her mouth. "I don't really care what you think."

"HMMM! MMMMMMFFFF!" The Redhead struggled, unable to speak.

"Sorry but Simon said that you're important to his little plan, and I have nothing against having a back up plan ready. But I get first crack at him and don't you forget that." Mason crouched down and glared at Erza in an attempt to intimidate her.

"Uh… What happened?" Sho grunted as he began to awaken. With that Mason once again disappeared from sight.

* * *

(End of Flashback)

'Sorry Erza…' Mason said as he blasted another henchmen away. 'But I meant it. Jellal is mine.'

* * *

(Meanwhile)

 _A small dingy carrying some familiar faces drifted through the sea, not too far behind._

"Ugghhh…. Are we there yet!" A sickly Natsu wailed.

"Geez man. Pull yourself together, will ya?" A shirtless Gray facepalmed.

"Quit disappointing Gray-sama!" A Blue haired woman growled. This was Juvia Lockser, a powerful water mage. Once a member of Phantom Lords elite Element four.

"Hey guys…" Lucy, who was steering the small boat called out in a frightened voice. "I think the tower is exploding…"

The four wizards crowded the front of the boat, shielding their eyes to get a better look. Part of the tower was indeed smoking, and suddenly another explosion erupted on the opposite side of the building.

"Whoa! There's something crazy going on in there!" Gray yelled out startled.

"It's too dangerous for you Gray-sama. I suggest we retreat." Juvia replied now in serious mode.

"Ha!" Natsu smiled, now apparently recovered from his motion sickness. "It's pretty obvious what's going on in their, don't you recognize it. There's a Dragon Slayer on a rampage. Now hurry! He's already got a head start!" Natsu pointed for the tower in an impatient spasm. "Come on! Let's get going!"

* * *

(At the magic council headquarters Women's locker room)

The sound of water running from a faucet. Could be heard as two women entered the washroom. Julia Moors and Amber Celadon two of the Head Captains of the Custody Enforcement Unit entered the room wearing nothing but towels, chatting amongst themselves.

"Man, today's training was super intense…" Julia said entering one of the stall-like showers, closing the door and hanging her towel up on top. She then turned on the shower, letting the warm, calming water cascade over her face and down her light blonde hair. "I definitely needed this."

"Yeah… Water is nice." The ever quiet Amber said, repeating Ambers shower process. "My arms are tired."

"Well you should probably get used to it. I know that the boss has never been much for relaxation and happiness, but she's been in a real crappy mood recently." Julia complained as she ran a washcloth down her long smooth legs. "You know what it is right?"

"Hormones?" Amber replied with an unintentionally smart toungue.

"Well, close. She's just sad that her Boyfriend ran off to join the circus." Julia snickered. "Oh that's right, they aren't dating because the boss is afraid she's gonna get rejected so she won't say how she feels."

"Care to rephrase that…" A cross voice and An eerily frightening arua began to seep from the shower next o Julia's. Causing the green eyed girl to start sweating.

"Uh… Boss… Hi, I didn't see you come in." Julia began to shake.

"Well that's because I was here before you. I was about to get out when I heard the two of you having a rather interesting conversation." Brosnan stood back crossing her arms over her chest, she maintained a calm expression but it was clear that she was upset. "Julia if you had a problem with the training routine, you should've told me directly rather than starting ridiculous rumors. For that I'll have a few extra exercises planned for you tomorrow."

"Uh… Yes Ma'am…" Julia nearly dropped to her knees in sorrow.

"So you don't like Mason-san?" Amber asked, not reading th mood.

"What!" The Light Wizard began to blush at the mention of his name. "Of course I don't like him. He's stupid and Irresponsible. Not to mention a total pervert!" She got louder the longer she spoke of him. "I'm getting out!" She said slamming the shower door open, her body wrapped in the towel. The other two girls followed quickly after her.

The women were in the middle of getting dressed the had just put on their underwear. Amber and Brosnan hand similar choices of monochromatic (light blue and pink respectively) cotton sets that left plenty to the imagination. It was an appropriate choice for Amber, but it may be a bit childish for the 19 year old captain. Julia meanwhile selected a much more mature choice, black lace nearly see through in places contrasting her silky smooth white skin.

They were in the midst of changing when Amber decided to continue the conversation. "Because I like Mason-san." The young girl said without shame.

"What!" Brosnan jumped back, she clearly wasn't prepared for that question. Julia struggled to keep back a chuckle.

"He's funny, and nice. I came here after my mom died and he was very nice and tried to make me smile. He's like my big brother." Amber said, her expression remained dull not matching her words.

"Oh… That's what you meant." Brosnan let out a relieved sigh. "I admit, Mason is a good person. He's nice… to everyone."

"I miss him." Amber continued. "When is he gonna come back."

"I'm sure he'll get bored playing babysitter soon enough, I don't think it'll long." Brosnan said confidently.

"Are you sure about that." Julia antagonized. "He's got plenty to keep him preoccupied in fairy tail."

"What is that supposed to mean." Brosnan called her out, picking up on the subtext Julia was hinting at.

"I'm just saying everything I've heard about the fairy tail guild is that despite the craziness, there's a lot of appeal there. Especially the women. One of the Wizards there is the centerfold for sourcerer weekly. And all the stories involving Titania say that she is incredibly ruthless but also captivatingly beautiful. One of those fairies may catch his eye." Julia smirked, she was clearly having fun taunting the captain.

"But Mason's an idiot so I don't think there's a lot to worry about." Brosnan was fast to respond.

"So when Mason-san does come back are you gonna marry him and have babies." Amber said with a straight face.

Brosnan couldn't answer she just started to shake as Julia busted out laughing. "Pffffttt! HAHAHAHAAHA! Well…" Julia wiped a tear from her cheek. "Aren't you gonna answer her?"

"Uh… ummm…" Brosnan began to shake nervously as she fumbled to find her words, luckily she was about to get an out.

"Head Captain!" A man with glasses and a black ponytail slammed the door open. "We've been summoned… by… the….council….." The man slowly realized the state of dress that he had found the women in and he could help his eyes as he took in their curves and figures. "Sorry!" He quickly slammed the door shut.

"Grrrr…. LAHAR!" Brosnan summoned her massive blade to her hand and stabbed it through the dressing room door. "DIE PERVERT!"

"Hahhhhh! I said sorry!"

* * *

(Magic council, at Era)

"Are you saying that it still exists? Impossible!" A magic council blurted out, Uh able to believe his eyes as the screen of the magic council revealed the tower of heaven fully constructed.

"About a decade ago a year ago construction began on the R-System." Another magic council men replied giving a name to the structure. "Built by a cult of Black Magic users."

"But we destroyed all seven towers, there shouldn't be any left!" A third council men replied in confusion.

"Evidently we missed one, The eighth Tower. In the waters near Ka-El." Another member of the council, this time a woman and seemingly the most level headed speaker so far addressed the situation. "The surveillance team we sent disappeared after recording these images. We sent a more advanced team to investigate but we don't know if we'll receive any more results."

"Is it finished?"

"It looks finished to me." A young woman, the Magic Council's beautiful Ultear replied with we sharp tongue.

"But why would someone want to revive the R-System." An older council men with cat ears and a large orange mustache asked.

"The tower of heaven." The council shifted their attention to a young man who resembled Jellal almost identically. This was Jellal's twin brother Siegrain. "It's not the R-System, it's the tower of Heaven. To be clear."

"It doesn't matter what it's called! It uses black magic and must be stopped, imagine if word of it got out to the public."

"Then I suggest we despatch the military." The older council woman spoke back up.

"That's not an option." An odd looking council men with a bowl hair cut and sunglasses replied. "We have no idea what we're dealing with, we'd be sending our soldiers in blind. All we know is that it's maned by a group of wizards led by a man named Jellal."

"What Jellal!? Siegrain isn't that your twin brother!?"

Siegrain looked up at the council with Dejected eyes. "Yes that would be him… But that doesn't matter, now is the time for action!" Jellal rose his voice for the council. "We must use the Satellite Square to Fire an Etherion Blast and destroy the Tower!"

Ultear was quick to back Siegrain. "The R-System is forbidden magic that we cannot allow to become part of our recorded history, so it must be destroyed."

"No way! Any civilians in the tower will be obliterated!" A voice of concern rose from the council. "Not to mention your brother Siegrain, he'd surely be killed. Could you live with that!?"

"For the sake of others I could." The blue haired man replied calmly.

"Although lives of innocent civilians may be lost its a sacrifice that must be made. For the greater good." The odd looking council argued.

"How could you even say that, imagine how we would be vilified for this!"

"For the sake of future generations I would easily sacrifice my reputation." The woman council member argued. "For the sake of the value of life, the Tower must be destroyed. I vote in favor of an Etherion Blast."

"We only need one more." Siegrain said with a grin.

* * *

(Later, back at the tower of heaven)

Mason had pinned another Dark Mage down and held an energy ball to his head. "Well, how about you. Are you gonn tell me where Jellal is? Your friends refused, and just looked how that turned out." He nodded over to a trail of beaten and bruised mages.

"No way! He promised to get us all into heaven." The dark mage, sounding a bit younger than the rest answered. "I'd rather die than betray lord Jellal."

"Hmmm… Suit yourself." Mason brought the energy ball closer but then a familiar smell entered his nostrils. "Natsu?" Mason punched the dark mage in the stomach knocking him unconscious. "Damn it, I've wasted too much time. Natsu you're crazy if you think you're stealing this kill. I called dibs." Mason sniffed the air one last time, but couldn't locate the scent he wanted. "Crap. I can't pick up his scent anywhere. Damn it Jellal! Where the hell are you!"

"Greetings mages, I welcome you to the tower of heaven.." A familiar voice rang over the towers intercom system.

"JELLAL!" Mason growled.

"I am Jellal and I am the ruler of the tower." The maniac continued. "It looks like the players have been arranged. I'm delighted that you all have come to visit me, I would like for all of us to play a round of heavens game. The rules are quite simple I wish to use Erza as my sacrifice and if I'm victorious than the gates of heaven will open to crown me. To make things more interesting I have enlisted four knights as my champions. You must defeat them to get to me. A four on nine battle royal. But that's not all, the Magic Council has aimed the Satelite Square at us and are currently voting on whether or not to fire an Etherion Blast. If that happens then there will be no winners."

Jellal's voice stopped playing, leaving Mason to stew in this new information. "A game!? He wants to turn this all into a game!?" The Phantom Dragon Slayer smiled. "Sounds fun. But I gotta see if I can do something about that Etherion Blast." A magic circle formed by Mason's ear and he began to speak into it.

* * *

(Magical Council at Era)

Another purple magic circle opened at the center of the magic council room. "Uh, hello." Mason's voice emerged form the circle. "This is Captain Mason Alastor, I managed to infiltrate the Tower Of Heaven…"

"WHAT!" The entire council erupted in confusion.

"Captain Alastor." A neared councilmen took the reins. "I thought you had been assigned an observation job, how did you manage to infiltrate the R-System?"

"Well I was in the neighborhood so I decided to stop by." The council began to nervously sweat at the clear sarcasm demosntrated by the captain in such a dire situation. "It doesn't matter how I got here, the point is that I'm in position and intend to take down Jellal on my own. I'm hoping you could hold back on that Etherion Blast."

This got Siegrain in a bit of a panic, not wanting to lose the crowd he began to plead with the soldier. "Captain Alastor, this is Siegrain and I plead that you reconsider. You more than anyone should know how dangerous it would be to leave the tower standing. We can't risk the fate of the world on the chance that you can defeat my brother."

"Sir Siegrain. I completely agree with you. I don't wish for you to cancel the Etherion Blast. If I fail, you must destroy the tower. But please all I ask is you give me one hour, if I cannot defeat Jellal by then you should fire." Mason reasoned.

"One hour." Siegrain relented. "That's all we can give you. Good luck captain."

* * *

(Back in the Tower Of Heaven)

The council hung up. "Alright, one hour. I can manage that." Mason looked up at the ceiling. "If it's supposed to be a game then the goal is to get to the end. The bottom is the beginning so that must mean Jellal is at the top." Mason began to float of the grown for a split second before rocketing upwards, using his intangibility to phase through the floors for a fast ascent. "Jellal! I'm coming for you!"

* * *

(End)


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8

Mason rose floor after floor through the tower before coming to a stop. He was in a strange room. It was tall at least 5 stories. Just a cylindrical room filled with bridges each of which connected two different openings to two different rooms.

"This is the top of the tower…. Which means on of the Doors will take me to Jellal." Mason continued to look around back and forth across the room. There had to be at least fifty bridges, meaning there were one hundred rooms to choose from. "Oh great…."

As Mason stood idle, trying to figure where to begin, a strange projectile with a glowing yellow aura flew through the air and landed next to him at his feet. "What's this?" Mason bent down and on closer inspection it was a knife cloaked in a burning yellow aura. Mason continued to study the strange knife when suddenly.

KAAABOOOOOMMMMM! The knife erupted in a large fiery explosion that consumed Mason.

Mason lept into the air, and let his levitation carry him, a trail of smoke following. He landed on another bridge. "What the hell was that!?"

"Hey kid!" Mason looked up and his eyes were filled shock. An older man with messy gray hair that reached down to his shoulders and a spiky gray beard that reached down just as far and a eyepatch covering his left eye. "Long time no see." The bearded man smiled a gruesome smile.

"No way." Mason stepped back a bit, he still couldn't believe his eyes. "Head Captain Percival!?"

* * *

(Flashback, 4 years ago)

"What's going on?" A younger Mason now about 14 anxiously pressed his ear against the wall trying to listen to what's going on.

"Hush Lieutenant!" Brosnan snapped back with an angry whisper. Only a year older than the boy, at this point she was the Sixth Head Captain Of the Custody Enforcement Unit at the age of 15. She was also desperately trying to listen in on what was happening. "If I get in trouble for this, I swear you'll pay for it."

"What the hell do you two think you're doing?" The imposing voice of Tyson Hammer called out from behind the young girl. He was currently the second head captain.

"Uh, I Uh.." Brosnan got nervous and couldn't answer properly.

"Tyson." Mason spoke up. "What did the Captain Do? Why is he in trouble?"

Brosnan went pale now that her motives had been discovered.

"Huh…" Tyson sighed as he crossed his arms. "What do you think. He broke the rules. He was assigned to bring down a Dark Guild and take the Master in. But he killed the master and the council lost out on vital information."

"What's gonna happen to him?" Brosnan looked up almost crying.

"Oh that's right. Captain Percival is the one who brought you to us wasn't he." Tyson put a friendly hand on the young girls head and tried to comfort her. "I don't know… The Council has been looking to get rid of him for years now. They have never been fans of his rather unorthodox methods and this may just be excuse they needed to get rid of him."

* * *

(Inside the council room)

"Captain Percival, do you have anything to say for yourself regarding your latest actions." A man with a long, entricut grey beard and a classic wizards hat said. This was the Magic Council chairman Gran Doma.

Percival simply smiled and shrugged. "I thought he was stronger. If I knew he was such a weakling I probably would've held back a bit more. My bad."

"You dare make light of this situation! Intelligence leads us to believe that he had information regarding the Balam Alliance, the greatest threat to our way of life left on the planet. We do not regard your actions as a laughing matter." Gran Doma berated.

"Trust me." Percival replied sharply. "If the Balam Alliance trusts an idiot like that with important information than they're a bunch of idiots and we really shouldn't worry too much."

"I've had it with that attitude of yours!" Doma stood up from his large throne-like seat. "You may be a powerful wizard, but your recklessness and poor attitude are more of a hindrance than any help. I hereby Dishonourably Discharge you of duty. You are to be stripped of your rank of Captain and all affiliation you have with this council has now been dissolved. Now leave, you are never to return!" Doma waved his hand forward signalling the old mage to leave.

* * *

(Outside the council)

Percival exited the large wooden doors of the council room, not looking anyway saddened by what had just occurred in the other way.

"Captian! What's happened, what has the council ruled?" Tyson rushed up to meet his associate.

Percival looked up with with a smug grin. "Not captain anymore, so just call me Percival."

"No way…" Tyson lowered his head trying to cope. "You've been…"

"Dishonorably Discharged." Percival proudly pushed out his chest. "But you really shouldn't be so concerned. You've got plenty more to worry about Head Captain Hammer. If the stress ever gets too much for ya, just let me know. I know this joint on the outskirts of Hargeon. The waitresses are smokin, and the drinks aren't half bad either. Hahahaha!"

Tyson didn't laugh. He was still caught up in the sorrow of the moment. "But sir…"

"Enough with that sir crap. I'm not your commanding officer anymore." Percival put his hand on Tyson's massive shoulder. "We had some good times didn't we, but your the boss now. Set a good example." Percival gestured to the two children standing behind him, still taking everything in.

"Right." Tyson shaped up, before saluting his former captain. "You will be missed soldier. I hope you continue to make the most of what life gives you."

"Right back at you." Percival soluted back.

"Captain Percival!" Brosnan ran up and hugged the old soldier by the leg. "You can't just leave! You promised when I got big enough you'd let me fight you. I want you to be there to see me get strong!" Tears began to well up in her eyes.

"That's enough!" Percival scolded getting the girl to look up with dejected eyes. "Now you're the 5th Captain of the Custody Enforcement Unit! Carry yourself as such! Imagine if the troops saw their captain crying like a child. From now on you have to make sure to be strong, never cry. They need to see their captain as strong, no matter what no matter when. You think you can handle that responsibility."

"Y-Yes sir." Brosnan wiped her tears away and stood strong. "Farewell sir!" She soluted.

Then Percival walked over to Mason who, looked upset but kept quiet. "What? You don't have any final words to say to me?"

"The council is a bunch a jerks…" Mason looked away as he said this.

"Yeah, they're jerks alright. But they make the rules and pay the bills. So it sucks but you gotta listen to them." Percival sighed as he put his hands on his hips. "But hey, look on the bright side. This makes you the Sixth Head Captain of the Custody Enforcement Unit, so congrats kid. But I got one last order for ya. The council may be in charge, but don't let them tell you what to do." Percival smiled and Mason looked back confused. "Do their missions and whatever they ask, but think about it what self respecting Dragon would let a bunch of old losers boss them around?"

"You're right!" Mason stood proud.

"One more thing." Percival kneeled down and smiled at the boy, before turning both of their attentions to Brosnan. "She's acting strong because I told her to, but shes actually having a really hard time with all this. Now's your chance." Percival whispered. "Go swoop in and make her feel better. You do that and she'll be all yours."

"WAAAH!" Mason yelled as he squirmed away from the veteran, his face covered in a bright crimson blush. "What are you talking about!? Gross! It's not even like that!"

"HAHAHAHAHAHAHA!" Percival began to laugh from his belly, tearing up a bit. "Sure whatever you say kid..."

* * *

(End of Flashback)

"Did you forget already kid?" Percival smirked as he pulled out another knife from his black vest, charging it with yellow magic energy. "I ain't the captain anymore!" He threw the blade at Mason's feet, prompting the Dragon Slayer to jump to another bridge before the knife could explode again.

KAABBBBOOOOOOMM! One of the many bridges was shattered into millions of pieces.

"You'd think after all these years you and I would finally be on a first name basis." Percival pulled out another knife. "If you need to keep things professional than you can call me Master Percival. As in the Master of Death's Head Order." His dark grey eyes began to burn with malicious intent.

"Wait.. Death's Head Order.." Mason thought for a second, before he realized what was so familiar. "The Assassin's Guild. The council has been searching for them for the past two years. But every operative that's been sent out so far has gone missing."

"Yeah, I got so tired of that stupid blue symbol so that's what I've been aiming for every time I see one." Percival threw a knife, this time with no magic charge directly at Mason's chest, but the blade simply passed through the Dragon Slayer.

"But why? Why would you go and join a dark guild?" Mason asked, still hesitant to fight his old friend.

"I didn't join a Dark Guild, I made one. As for why, a Wizards gotta eat. Also I like to play to my strengths. You know how my Knife Magic works. I can charge these knives with various enchantments like that yellow one that makes them blow up." Percival pulls out another knife that began to radiate a violent red magic. "Or this red one that ups the pain you recieve if you get cut by it."

Percival throws the blade but once more it passes through Mason's body without harming him. "And you should remember how my magic works. Those knives won't hurt me you can fling as many as you want. They'll just pass right through me."

"Huh, I guess you're right. I forgot about that didn't I. That intangibility is gonna be a real problem for me." Percival grabbed another knife from behind his back and smiled menacingly. "Luckily I came prepared." He flung the blade forward and cloaked it in a veil of purple magic.

Mason stood pat, planning to let the blade phase through him once more. But it wouldn't be so easy this time. "AAHH!" Mason winced, he looked down to see the hilt of the throwing knife sticking from his stomach. Then a wave of purple energy rushed over him. "HHAAAHHHAAA!" The surge of energy was clearly painful, but it eventually subsided. "GRAAHH!" Mason pulled the blade from his side, it was cloaked with his blood. "What the hell did you do to me?.."

"That enchantment will keep you from becoming intangible for awhile." Percival pulled out another blade and charged it with the red pain magic. "Now let's have some fun."

* * *

(On a Magic Council ship, in the water around the tower of heaven)

"Take this…" Amber said in a small voice as she pointed her magic cannon-pistol out in front of her. " **Obliterate.** " She fired an enormous blast of magic energy forward, destroying a mountain of floating debris. "Alright you can move forward." With that the ship slowly moved through the incredibly thick fog.

"Captain." Tyson addressed as he walked behind Brosnan who stood on the bow of the ship, not in her armor. " Even with Lahar's navigation skills it will take around an hour to pass through this fog and reach the tower."

"DAMNIT!" A frustrated brosnan summoned her massive armored gauntlet and used it to smash the railing she had been leaning against. "We need troops on the ground, NOW!"

"You're not gonna like this.." Tyson muttered to himself. Before sighing and speaking back up. "Sir! I received word from the council and it turns out we already have troops on the ground. Well… Troop. Sir."

"Who could have possibly gotten there…. before ...us….No!" Brosnan slowly came to realization, and started gritting her teeth. "That idiot! It would totally be like him to abandon his post and do something like this. I swear does he take anything seriously!?"

"He grew up here you know. He never talks about it, so there must be some pretty bad memories of this place. It's fitting that he'd be the one who went and took this place down." Tyson smiled, looking up where he believed the tower to be.

"Hmm.. Unfortunately for him, I don't intend to let him be the lone hero this time." Brosnan smiled as well. "Step on it. I gotta make sure we rain on that idiots parade!"

* * *

(Back in the tower)

"Ha!" Mason jumped up over the blade, before landing uncomfortably and grasping at the wound on his side. Mason looked up to the bridge that his old friend was standing on. "You want to fight!? Fine by me! **PHANTOM DRAGON ROAR!** " He let out a mouth full of purple phantoms that shattered Percival's bridge causing him to fall from his perch.

"Hehe! That's more like it!" Percival, mid fall, grabbed three blades in his fist and charged them with orange magic. "Take this kid!" He flung the blades before landing on another bridge. The blades became cloaked in flames and three fires balls made there way for Mason.

Mason lifted up his black cloak which caught all the knives in its fabric. He then leapt into the air and met Percival on his bridge. " **PHANTOM DRAGON SHOT!** " Mason shot out a blast of magic energy.

Percival grabbed a machete from the back of his vest and charged it with white magic energy. He then chopped the purple magic blast with the large knife and destroyed it. "Cancelation Magic. You're gonna have to try harder than that, you're boring me."

"Shut it! I don't have time for you." Mason charged two hands with magic energy. " **PHANTOM DRAGON CANNON!** " Mason blasted a massive amount of energy at the old mage who managed to block the enormous blast with his radiant white blade.

"Nice try kid but, AAHH!" Percival stopped mid sentence as Mason planted a magic charged foot into his stomach.

" **PHANTOM DRAGON STRIKE!** " Mason knocked the bearded man away, slamming him into the wall behind him.

"Ugh… Not bad. That's more like it." Percival pulled two more knives out and charged them with red pain magic. "How bout a bit of hand to hand."

Mason flattened out his hand like a blade and purple energy began to surge from his fingertips down to his elbow. " **PHANTOM DRAGON'S BLADE CLAW!** Fine, let's just get this over with. HAAHHH!" Mason charged forward stabbing his arm forward, but Percival weaved to the side and stabbed Mason in the back with the crimson blade. "AAAAHHHHHAAAAAHHHHH!" The pain coursed through his entire body, it was an intense burning pain. The shock from the attack caused Mason's attack to disappear.

"Hurts doesn't it?" Percival mocked as Mason dropped to his knees, before kicking him in the stomach while he was on the ground, sending him rolling into the corner. He began to charge a knife with the yellow explosive energy. "Time to die kid."

"NOO!" Mason's hand charged with purple energy and he slammed it into the ground, destroying the bridge beneath the both of them causing them to free fall.

Mason, using levitation caught himself, before preparing another attack. " **PHANTOM DRAGON CANNON!** " Mason sent an energy blast directly into the body of the falling Percival, causing him to crash through another bridge and onto the ground, three stories down. Mason followed after.

"Ugh… You know i'm disappointed in you son." Percival wiped his jaw of blood as he climbed back to his feet, relatively unscathed. "So much talent, yet you lower yourself to just another pawn of the Magic Council. A glorified errand boy. Go here, get this, do that. Thirty years of my life, what a waste. All that work and what do I get, a Dishonorable Discharge. They never cared about me, and they don't care about you. They sent you on a damn suicide mission, to come here! But you still follow them like a sheep. Imagine what Papa Dragon would say seeing his son's life taken from him by a bunch of stupid old wizards." Percival chucked another red blade at the Dragon Slayer who blocked it with a magic barrier.

"That's not true. The council didn't send me here. I came here myself! I need to find Jellal, I'll bring him to justice." Mason tried to stand strong, but his legs began shake. The fight to this point and dealing with the Dark mages earlier had severely depleted his magic reserves.

"Well, well. You surprise me kid. Glad to see you're not a total lost cause. Unfortunately your buddy Jellal is paying me a ton of jewel to keep punks like you from getting to him." Percival charged another red blade and readied himself to continue.

"Then I need to take you down.." Mason's fist charged with energy. " **PHANTOM DRAGON SHOT!** " This energy ball was a bit more loose and wobbly. Allowing Percival to easily knock it away.

"Wow. You're in worse shape than you look." Percival taunted as Mason charged forward, his leg cloaked in magic energy.

" **PHANTOM DRAGON STRIKE!** " Mason swung his leg forward, but Percival managed to dodge. Mason kept trying to land a blow, but Percival was always one step ahead. Fatigue began to set in on the Dragon Slayer and he eventually lost the strength to finish the attack.

Percival swung his knife for the Dragon Slayer, but Mason vanished in thin air. " **PHANTOM DRAGON VANISHING FIST!** " Mason appeared directly in front of the old wizard and fired a punch aimed for his face.

SMACK! Mason's fist was caught in Percivals hand, the punch was easily stopped. "Nice try, but looks like you're out of power…" Percival slammed his crimson red blade into Mason's arm.

"AAAAGGGGHHHH!" Mason screamed in pain as he dropped back to the ground. "DAMN IT!" Mason ripped the blade out of his arm, letting the blood seep out from his wound.

"Well game over boy." Percival slowly walked over to the grounded Dragon Slayer, blade in hand.

"Not yet!" Mason growled before he started to inhale. "WHHOOOOHHHH!" Purple streams of magic energy began to pour out of the wall and into his mouth. Slowly Mason's wounds began to close as he climbed back to his feet. "You know it's not really not fair." Mason mumbled to himself. "From what I can tell, Natsu likes the taste of flames. But for me it's disgusting. I eat evil and sin, just pure negative energy and this tower is full of it. But it's slimy and bitter and cold. But god." Mason looked up, his eyes shining a bright purple. "It feels so good!"

* * *

(End)


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9

Mason's body began to adapt to the surge of magic energy. His body absorbing his aura and his eyes returning to their natural red color. "You know what makes me mad the most though. It's not that you went and betrayed all of us, or that you're keeping me from getting to Jellal. It's not even that I just had a disgusting meal because of you. It's because you made me eat from this tower. This place, it still gives me nightmares all these years later. Now I feel it coursing through every inch of my body."

Percival stood, it took him awhile but he was eventually able to adjust to his opponents power surge. "Ha! Well don't worry kid, you won't be feeling much of anything soon." The old mage grabbed two more blades, but these weren't throwing knives they were meant for close range combat. Blood red pain magic began to surge through the blades. "It's gonna take more than a power boost to bring me down." Percival charged.

Mason stood still, balling up a piece of his cloak in his hand.

"TAKE THIS!" Percival swung the knives forward and Mason made no move outside of a small smile.

CLANG! "What the?!" Percival stood confused as his knives were blocked by the long blade of a katana.

"So?" Mason said as his blade was charged with magic energy of his own giving it a vibrant purple aura. "Ready for round two?"

"Grrr! You're asking for it now boy!" Percival, being surprisingly nimble for an old man, did a backflip before rushing Mason again. CLANG! Mason once again blocked. "Grrrr… Don't think you can beat me hand to hand. My magic power is far beyond yours!"

In response Mason closed his eyes and took a deep breath. "Hffmmmphhmm…." He opened them up once more and that's when the games where over. " **PHANTOM DRIVE!** " Mason's Iris' turned bright purple and magic energy started pouring from his body. Then Mason vanished in thin air.

"What the!? AAHHH!" Percival shrieked in pain as a long slash mark appeared across his back as Mason reappeared holding his sword in a different position. "GAAAHHH!" Percival dropped to his knees. "You cut me! Is that how the council is teaching it now? Dirty tricks to win a fight?" Percival stood back up. "Well excuse me if I do things a little more old fashioned." Red energy exploded from every inch of the guild masters body. "You should be proud of yourself kid! It takes a special kind of wizard to make me go all-AHHGG!" Percival was cut short as Mason thrusted his blade into the cloud of magic energy stabbing him below the rib cage.

"Ughh…" Percival grabbed at his wound as he slowly stood up straight. "Heh heh…" He chuckled weakly. "Well I'll be damned, who coulda guessed one of you council boy scouts had it in ya. So what, you're just gonna let me bleed out?"

"Quit being a baby, that's not gonna kill you." Mason said harshly as he sheathed his sword. "Now leave, it's over for you."

"Sorry kid.. Your buddy up there is promising me and my associates literal mountains of jewel. It's gonna take more than a flesh wound to keep me from my paycheck." Percival climbed back to his feet. "We aren't done playing, I'm not letting you into that room as long as I can stand. And every second you're out here with me is another second off the countdown clock towards etherion doomsday." Percival slowly and weekly began to reach for another knife.

"Then I'll just have to put you down for good." Mason thrusted his palm forward and used an energy blast to knock the blade away, before firing another blast at his enemies chest.

"AAAHHHHGGGHHH!. Heheheh. Got another one in ya Agh!" Percival choked as Mason grabbed him by throat and lifted him back into the air.

"I told you, I don't have time for you…" More magic power began to fly from the Dragon slayers body as he prepared to finish the old man.

"AGGGHH… Give it your best shot." Percival said through his collapsing windpipe.

"Okay. **DRAGON SLAYER SACRED ART! CURSED SOUL UNHOLY SURGE!** " Mason's body was slowly consumed by a bright purple glow before.

KABOOM! A large explosion erupted from the top of the tower of heaven. Meanwhile the walls of the room were blackened with ash as a collapsed Percival laid unconscious on the ground. "Now stay down.." Mason turned away from the beaten wizard as his drive faded. He slowly scanned the room before making a puzzled expression. "Now… Which door was the right one again?..."

"Hey!..." Percival was still conscious and he called back once more. "We aren't done here yet!"

Mason looked back over his shoulder, his eyes were cold, at this point he was completely overcome by his goal to reach Jellal and really didn't care anymore. "Enjoy the trip down."

With a telekinetic blast, Mason sent the old wizard out through the gaping hole in the at the very top of the tower. Without a second thought Mason turned back to the many doors in the giant room and took a deep whiff with his nose taking in the various scents of the tower. "Found you…"

* * *

(Magic Council Warship)

"Grrrr…." An ever-impatient Brosnan sat gritting her teeth as the colossal ship ever so slowly waded through the deep thick fog. "CAPTAIN HAMMER!" She called out for her second in command. "STATUS REPORT!"

"It's been almost half an hour and we don't seem to have made any forward progress. I fear the fog may be enchanted…But I already told you this sir... " Tyson replied in a tired tone.

"I know, I just hope that if I keep asking you the answer will eventually change. Ughhh…" Brosnan let out a bored sigh as she stared off into the cloudy horizon.

"Boss!..." The monotoned Amber tried her best to call down from her post, but her small voice made that hard. "I found something!..." Amber pointed her finger towards an unconscious floating percival.

"My god! Captain Percival!" Brosnan's eyes widened as she immediately recognized her former mentor. "Quick pull him in."

Brosnan, Tyson, and Amber took Percivals body to below deck and laid his body down on a bed. "Tyson, change his clothes. He's gonna freeze to death."

"Why do I?... Fine." The massive soldier began to remove his former allies' wet shirt.

"Boss I'm confused." Amber blurted out. "Who is this guy?"

"Oh yeah, you weren't around then were you?" Brosnan smiled, an extremely rare phenomenon. "This is Captain Percival, he was Head Captain before me. He was my mentor and he brought me into the Rune Knights. He was like a father to me."

"Ooohhhh…" Amber said without changing facial expressions. "But what is he doing here."

"That… Is a good question." Brosnan looked back as Tyson tended to the sleeping mage.

"I think I know." Tyson replied as he lifted up a piece of cloth, revealing Percivals chest and purple guild mark in the shape of a twisted laughing skull head. "He was hired. He's an assassin from the Death's Head Order. A Dark Mage."

"Well, you figured it out." The whole group jumped and turned to see that Percival had woken up and he was smiling at them from his bed. "Since you guys got the basic gist already I'll fill you guys in on the rest for old times sake. I'm not just a member of the Death's Head Order guild, I'm its master."

"What?!" Tyson jumped.

"Wh-what.." Brosnan stumbled backwards, she couldn't believe what she was seeing. "But why?..."

"What can I say kid? A wizards gotta eat." Tyson sat up in his bed a disgustingly smug grin.

"No way… For money? You kill people for money? You… You're a traitor…" Brosnan began to shake as emotions started to build up inside.

"I don't really care what you think of me. Besides I shouldn't really be your top priority right now." The assassin commented, getting the room's attention. "Your boyfriend is on a bit of a rampage and he's in for a rude awakening when it comes to Lord Jellal. He's like no wizard I've ever seen before. He could beat that kid without so much as getting up from his seat. I'm almost certain that without backup he will die."

"I'm pretty sure he can take care of himself." Brosnan said coldly. "But regardless this is our mission not his, I'm going in. The rest of you tie up the traitor, make sure he doesn't escape. Or I'll have your heads."

"Oh I wouldn't be so hard on them if I was you." Percival spoke up again and when the captains looked back over he held a blade charged with grey magic energy. "None of you could've held me anyway." From the small glowing dagger an all encompassing smoke screen flooded through the entire room.

"ACK! ACK!... GODDAMNIT!" The smoke faded away and Percival had disappeared from his bed.

"Don't worry Boss. I can track him down." Amber said as she manifested her magic rifle and looked through the scope.

"Don't bother. He's more experienced than any of us, not even Tyson can match his cunning. We'll have to let him go… for now." Brosnan remained strong in her words, but her body shook with rage. "He was right though, we do have more important things to worry about like getting me onto that Tower."

"I hate to be the voice of negativity." Tyson spoke up. "But I don't think this boat is going to be able to maneuver this fog."

"Yes Captain, I'm well aware of that." The Head Captain turned back with a sinister smile plastered across her face. "That's why you're gonna throw me."

The hulking Tyson immediately went pale. "What…"

* * *

(Inside the tower, with Fairy Tail)

"Ughh! Gray, you're heavy!" A struggling blue cat cried out as he desperately began flapping his wings to stay airborne as he carried the shirtless mage down the shambling halls of the tower of heaven.

"Quit complaining, it's that idiots fault. If Natsu could just take care of himself then neither of us would be in this situation." Gray called back up to the cat. Then something caught the Ice Mage's eye. "Hey! I see the girls down their! Bring us down Happy!"

"Aye Sir!" The blue cat swooped down where the two met up with Lucy and Juvia but also Sho, Millianna and Wally.

"Woah! What the heck are these guys doing here!?" Gray took a battle stance as he stared down the once enemy wizards.

"Wait my love!" Juvia stood between Gray and the dark wizards. "They are no longer our enemies!"

"Huh? Seriously?" Grey returned to a normal stance as the other wizards bowed for forgiveness.

"Yeah, we're sorry." Millianna said as she and her friends continued to bow. "We though Jellal could take us to heaven, but we were wrong."

"Don't worry about it." Gray smiled prompting the dark wizards to lift their heads. "Anyway, we gotta get outta here. The council is about to drop an Etherion blast on our heads."

"Wait!" Lucy spoke up. "Where are Natsu and Erza?"

"I don't know about Erza, but Natsu and Simon are going after that Jellal guy." Happy spoke up for Gray.

"We can't just leave them!" Lucy cried back.

"Yeah, I agree…" Gray replied. "Let's go back for-"

BOOOMMM! CRASSHHH! The wall behind the wizards exploded into a cloud of smoke. From the plume of smoke the silhouette of a woman carrying a massive sword became visible, her eyes glowing a fierce golden yellow.

Eventually Brosnan emerged from the smoke and glared at the wizards. "You! Civilian wizards! Evacuate the tower at once!"

"Hey wait a second. Who the heck are you to tell us what to do."Gray said unwilling to back down.

"She appears to be a member of the Magic Council my love, look at the symbol on her chest." Juvia pointed out the blue insignia on Brosnan's body suit.

"Woah… She's beautiful." Lucy commented, causing her friends to look back at her with judgemental eyes.

"That wasn't a request." Brosnan slammed her giant sword down on the ground causing the entire tower to shake as she let out a bit of her power. "Leave NOW! There's a ship waiting for you that will take you to safety, but you must leave immediately. This is a Council Issue now."

"Right…" Lucy agreed followed by her friends nervously nodding their heads.

* * *

(With Mason)

WHOOSSH! Using telekinesis Mason forced open to large doors that led into another circular room. At the center was a massive blue crystal and decorating the walls were large open windows shaped almost like crosses.

"Well, well. Look who's here." A hooded man sat in a throne at the end of circular room. A few strands of blue hair could be seen through the hood as well as his sinister toothy grin. "The first of two Dragon Slayers and the first of two former prisoners. But the weakest of both of them."

Mason didn't respond to the taunting, he simply remained silent and stood motionless.

"In fact, you aren't even the strongest Rune Knight in the tower anymore." The hooded man jabbed again, but received no reaction from the Dragon Slayer. "But you want to fight me anyway, don't you?"

"Bingo." Mason said with a serious look in his eyes. " **PHANTOM DRAGON CANNON!** "

Mason through both hands forward and from them a massive blast of energy erupted forward. "Hmmm.." Jellal stuck a single hand out and caught the blast before knocking it upwards blasting it through the ceiling above, he flipped his hood up to reveal his the sinister expression on his face. "And to think I expected a challenge from my dear old friend."

Jellal continued to taunt but Mason wasn't messing around. " **PHANTOM DRAGON LANCE!** " Mason cloaked himself in magic energy before rocketing forward towards the Dark Mage.

Jellal was effortlessly dodged the attack, causing mason to crash through the wall and out the top floor of the tower. "Great idea." The ever smug Jellal replied. "Let's take this outside." The blue haired wizard levitated out through the newly created hole after him. "Now where we… Huh?" Jellal looked around but Mason was nowhere to be seen.

" **VANISHING FIST!** " Suddenly Mason appeared in front of Jellal and struck him with a powerful uppercut, sending him flying higher into the sky. " **PHANTOM DRAGON SHOT!** " Mason sent an energy ball after him causing a large explosion.

"GAAAHHH!" Jellal let out a grunt followed by a blast of golden energy that drilled through the cloud of smoke, but Mason blocked the attack with a magic barrier. "Well, I'll give you credit. You aren't as weak as I thought you were. I might even enjoy myself while killing you."

"Anyone ever tell you that you talk too much?" Mason finally changed expression to a signature cocky smile. "Besides. You haven't seen anything yet. **PHANTOM DRIVE!** " Mason's eyes turned a bright purple and his hair stood up and began to dance along with the surge of magic power that began to course through the wizards body. " **DRAGON SLAYER FORBIDDEN ART! REAPERS CLAWS!** " The magic power that had been pouring out of Mason's body now began to convene at his hand, robbing him of the vicious purple aura but creating a twin set of three fingered claws made of condensed magic energy. One of claws started bending towards Mason prompting Jellal to attack. "Well buddy, it's your move."

"If you wish… HHYYYAAAHHHH!" Jellal responded with another energy blast, three times the size of the last one.

"HAAAAHHH!" Mason thrusted his claw forward and slashed the golden energy to pieces, then with his other claw fired three identical energy blasts at his foe.

Jellal blocked this attack the same way he had done to Mason's earlier energy attack, just as the Dragon Slayer planned. " **PHANTOM DRAGON ROAR!** " A funnel of purple phantoms erupted from Mason's mouth and flew directly at Jellal.

"Heh." Jellal smirked as his body was surrounded by golden light, before he suddenly vanished like an afterimage.

"Huh?" Mason felt a presence behind him and quickly turned to find Jellal. "So fast…"

"Scorch my enemy **Flame of Rebuke**!" A vibrant golden flame jumped from Jellal's palm onto Mason quickly consuming him.

"AAGGHH!" Mason yelled in pain. "These Flames, they're stronger than Natsu's!" Mason screamed.

"That's unfortunate for you isn't it?" Jellal grinned maniacally as he watched the Dragon Slayer burn. "If I remember correctly, Phantom Magic is met with its Achilles Heel when it comes to Light and Fire magic. I may not be an expert in light magic but right now you're suffering the effects of one of the most powerful fire spells in existence! Now take this!" Jellal kicked the Dragon Slayer in the stomach with enough force to send him crashing back into his throne room which Jellal followed suit.

"You know what I find sad." Jellal continued to taunt as his feet tapped the ground as he landed, standing over the still burning Mason. "I expected as much from Erza, maybe even Salamander, but not from you. Truly a disappointment. You may have dished out some powerful spells, but none of them were cast with a single ounce of killing intent. You marched through my tower, through my guards, and even one of my elite hired soldiers to make our little reunion happen I had hoped you'd make things a little more interesting."

"That's because I never forgot.." Mason said weakly as flames danced over his body. "We're friends Jellal, you were my best friend… You were the first friend I ever had, I'm going to save you."

"Hah.. Haha.. HAHAHAHAH!" Jellal began to laugh uncontrollably. "This is hilarious. I thought I knew you pretty well, but you never struck me as the sentimental type, but I suppose that explains a lot even more than you know. If you truly wanted to be _friends_ then you wouldn't have abandoned the tower all those years ago, but unfortunately for you that's when our _friendship_ ended. I'll let you on another bit of information for old times sake, there is none of the me you knew left to _save._ " Jellal bent down to whisper that last point into the burning Mason's ear.

WHOOSH! Suddenly a broadsword flew through the air and landed between the two mages, startling Jellal and causing his focus to waiver, freeing Mason from the flames.

Mason looked up to find Erza standing at the doorway, her hair up in a ponytail and her chest bound by bandages. "Good to hear." She said raising her Katana and taking a combat stance. "If there's nothing left to save than I won't make the mistake of trying."

* * *

(End)


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 10

WHOOSH! Suddenly a broadsword flew through the air and landed between the two mages, startling Jellal and causing his focus to waiver, freeing Mason from the flames.

Mason looked up to find Erza standing at the doorway, her hair up in a ponytail and her chest bound by bandages. "Good to hear." She said raising her Katana and taking a combat stance. "If there's nothing left to save than I won't make the mistake of trying."

"Ugghhhh…." Mason groaned as he climbed back to his feet, dusting dirt and ash off his chest. "What the hell are you doing here…" He said with growl.

"Right now it looks like I'm coming to your rescue." This was a tone from Erza that Mason hadn't heard in the short time since he reconnected with his old, for in this moment Erza was deathly serious.

"You need to evacuate, the magic council is about to blow this place to bits." Mason took a battle stance as magic energy began to surge through his body again, causing the mess of white hair atop his head to spike upwards. "Now that I've heard it for myself, that my old friend is gone. There's no reason to hold back anymore." Mason flipped up his tattered black hood over his face and vanished in thin air.

A gruesome smile formed across Jellal's face. "Fool! Your magic power is surging! even if I can't see you, I can still sense you." Jellal's eyes darted across his throne room as he tracked mason's magic energy.

" **PHANTOM DRAGON!** " Mason called out, still invisible.

"There you are." Jellal smirked as me crossed his arms in front of his chest.

" **STRIKE!** " Mason became visible again as his foot, cloaked in magic energy, was planted dead center where jellal crossed his arms. Magic sparks erupted from the collision but neither combatant gave an inch. Mason's attack began to stall out, but in a latch ditch effort he swiped his foot up, breaking jellal's guard.

"What the?" Jellal stumbled backwards as Mason disappeared once again. "Huh?" Jellal's eyes grew huge as a broadsword appeared out of nowhere headed straight for his face, and he was just barely able to duck under the blade in time for it to fly over head.

"I told you to leave." Mason groaned as he became visible.

"Shut up." Erza replied as she readied her katana. "It's time to fight."

"I for one have had enough of the both of you!" Magic energy began to surge to Jellal's hands. "You two never should have returned. This tower will be your graves! Take this!" A massive, two handed blast of magic energy was shot directly at Mason and Erza.

" **BARRIER!** " Mason called out creating a shield of magic energy that managed to stop the energy blast.

"HAAAAHHHHH!" Using the opening, Erza charged forward with her sword aimed at Jellal. The blue haired wizard blocked Erza blade by charging his hand with magic power and catching the sword.

Mason meanwhile charged an energy blast out in front of him with both hands, while Jellal struggled with Erza. " **PHANTOM DRAGON'S CANNON!** " An enormous energy wave consumed Jellal and sent him crashing into the wall behind his throne resulting in a plume of smoke.

"Keep your guard up, I have a feeling that things are far from over…" Erza said almost on cue as magic power began to erupt from the area where Jellal had crashed, and two eyes glowing with evil began to peer out of the smoke.

"Damn it!" The dark mage called out. "You're really starting to grow irritating!"

* * *

(With Brosnan)

"I'm Serious!" The Magic Councils Head Captain snapped at the Fairy Tail wizards. "The Council has ordered an Etherion strike on the tower, if you're here when that happens you along with the tower will be completely vaporized." The brunette glared.

"I don't think you understand." Gray folded his arms. "We aren't going anywhere without our friends."

"You tell her my love!" Juvia cried out.

"I don't have time for this." Brosnan sighed as she lifted her giant sword up over her shoulder. "I'll just drag you out, even if you're unconscious."

The Fairy Tail wizards broke out into a cold sweat at the thought of another confrontation.

"Yes ma'am!" Wally, Sho and Millianna stood up and saluted the soldier.

But the Fairy Tail wizards were still upset about this turn of events, so Brosnan took upon herself to try and cheer them up. "Look, I'm here looking for a friend of mine too. If I find your buddies I'll do everything in my power to get them out safely. Look I can't guarantee anything except that if you stay here, you'll never see your friends again." Not exactly words of encouragement but she got her point across. "Their is a Magic council ship waiting outside that will provide medication and food and a trip to the mainland."

"Right!" The civilian wizards all nodded in agreement and all of them made their way to the magic council ship.

"Mason…." Now alone Brosnan lowered her head in thought. "You better still be alive…. So that I can kill you!" With that the young girl bolted down one of the towers many hallways.

* * *

(With Mason)

" **PHANTOM DRAGON VANISHING FIST!** " Mason who had obtained a few more bruises since we last saw him, fired a punch at significantly more beaten up jellal knocking him to the ground. "Ha.. Ha… Ha… All these years, everyday, I've prepared myself for this fight and even though I'm running low on magic power, I still always thought it'd be harder than this."

"It's not done yet." Erza stepped up holding her katana as she made her way over to the beaten Jellal.

"Wait what are you doing, he's beaten!" Mason called out, confused by his friends action.

"If you lock him up, he'll just escape again. He's got connections in the magic council, his brother for instance. I will end things here, for Sho and Simon and Wally and Millianna. For you, and for myself. Today the nightmare ends." Erza raised up her sword as Jellal struggled to sit up.

"You can't do that! That's not justice!" Mason objected.

"How many sacrifices do you think it took to build this tower, where is the justice for all those people. Don't try to stop me!" Erza's emotions where all over the place, but she knew she had to do what she thought was right. Mason on the other hand wasn't thinking so clearly.

"HAAAHHH!" Erza began to swing down with her blade causing Jellal to flinch, but the tip of her sword was stopped just short. "What?" That's when Erza realized she wasn't able to move as veil of purple energy surrounded her body.

"Stop!" Mason called out, his hand stretched out as he tightened his telekinetic grip on Erza. Mason flung the girl across the room pinning her against a wall.

"Ugghhhh…. What do you think you're doing?" Erza groaned as she struggled to free herself.

"I won't let you kill him…. You can't.." Mason tightened his grip more as emotions began to flood in.

"Let me go! You heard him, he's not the Jellal we once knew, not anymore. We have to do what's right." Erza argued but her reasoning wasn't quite getting through.

"Just let me think! I can't do this right now, dammit! The reason I became a soldier was so I could be strong enough for when the this time comes, but if I'm not strong enough to do this now, what the hell was the point!?" Mason began to panic and his grip on Erza began to loosen. Just as this was happening Jellal had regained his footing and crept up behind the Dragon Slayer and draped his arm across his shoulder.

Mason looked back to find Jellal smiling, just like he did when they were young. Causing even more confusion to overcome him. "Well, well. I suppose I should thank you, and also apologize. What I said was wrong, it turns out after all these years we are still friends." The dark mage said as he continued to smile. "The fact that you would defend my life even at the expense of the remainder of your magic power has truly shocked me and is a gesture I will never forget, but unfortunately the matter of our being friends changes very little." Jellal said as he jabbed the weakened Mason in his side, knocking him unconscious. "I can't have you, or anyone else get in my way."

Erza was freed from her Mason's spell and regained control over her body. "Mason!" Called out before charging at Jellal, sword in hand. "How could you!"

Jellal simply knocked Erza away with a blast of magic. The blue haired wizard then grabbed the unconscious Mason off the ground and dragged him over to one of the many windows.

"Jellal! Don't!" Erza cried out as she tried to climb back to her feet, but she was too late.

"I'm sorry Erza, but there is no sacrifice too great when it comes to achieving true freedom." Jellal declared as he flung Mason out from the top of the tower, sending his body crashing down into the water below resulting in soft SPLASH.

* * *

(With Brosnan)

The Head Captain of the Custody Enforcement unit sprinted down a long corridor of the evil tower as the Etherion threat drew ever closer. Suddenly a small magic circle appeared by the girl's ear getting her to stop.

"Brosnan! You have to evacuate immediately the council won't give us anytime! We have three minutes to get to a safe distance, we have to leave now!" Tyson's voice emanated from the magic circle.

"No way, I'm not leaving without him!" Brosnan answered as she continued down the hallway taking time to catch her breath.

"Have you tried to contact him?" Tyson asked.

"Yes, but he's not answering. He probably dispelled his communication circle." Brosnan felt herself becoming lost in the elaborate tower, she was no longer ascending and had come to stop.

"Then I think we have to cut our losses, I'm sorry. We have to think about the safety of the civilian wizards we have on board, that's our job." Tyson scolded. "The boat is too your left, we're leaving now."

Brosnan stood still for a minute as she evaluated her options in her brain, eventually she put aside her emotions to do what was right. "Fine!" She said, letting her facade fade slightly using her Golden Eye magic, she blasted down the wall to her left and found the Council Boat waiting for her in the surf. She looked back to the tower one last time and became choked up for a brief moment. "You damn idiot!" at that was the last thing she said before leaping from the tower and landing on her feet on the bow of the ship. "What are you waiting for, we have to get out of range now!" And just like that she regained her commander personality and was back to barking orders.

The council ship immediately started making distance, and it seemed they were just in time. As soon the boat cleared one hundred meters the Etherion was fired. An enormous blast of magic energy rained down from the sky, completely consuming the Tower of Heaven in the beam. Causing massive shock waves and tidal waves to surge around the Island, but as the blast subsided the exterior of the tower had been vaporized, leaving a massive lacrima charged by etherion blast.

* * *

(Mason's POV)

I remember that I was blacked out, everything was dark, then I felt a strange surge like a WHOOSH! Then I woke up and I was wet. Before I could figure out where I was or what was going on, a massive wave of water crashed on top of me and pushed me down to the bottom of the ocean. I struggled to climb back to the surface for air, my chest felt was being crushed. I thought I was going to die before I reached the surface, but I just barely made it. "HUUUHHHH! ACK! ACK!" I was able to cough the water out of my lungs. I looked around to see that the Tower of Heaven was gone, replaced by a giant lacrima crystal, the R-System.

"Crap!" I began to swim towards the towering crystal. Jellal planned to use Erza as a sacrifice and now that the R-System was complete there was nothing stopping him from activating it. Luckily the tower wasn't too far away and I was able to make landfall in only a couple of minutes, the problem was that my magic power had been severely depleted and there was only one thing left to do.

"Ughh…" Just the thought of it gave me shivers, but Erza needed me. I opened my mouth and began to inhale. I took no more than second as magic energy began to seep from the crystals into my mouth. This wasn't the power absorbed into the tower by the Etherion blast, because eating that would incredibly stupid and probably kill me this was the negative energy left behind by the souls that went into building this damned tower. If I had to describe the taste, it would not be pleasant. Cold, bitter and sour. The texture is extremely slimy, like overcooked spinach or squash that had gone bad. Regardless of how it tasted, that magic power was just what I needed.

Power rushed through my body, this tower is filled with so much hate and sorrow that its super concentrated and now it was time for action. " **PHANTOM DRAGON CANNON!** " I pointed my hands at the grown and fired a powerful blast of magic power that rocketed my body into the air so that I could use my levitation to carry myself the rest of the way. "I'm coming Erza, so please be alive!"

* * *

(A top the tower)

I landed at the top of the R-System to find Natsu and Jellal hand been battling, but I could feel an enormous amount of magic power in the pooling into Jellal and vicious killing intent radiating from my old friend. Strong winds began to converge above Jellal and my shadow started to move towards Jellal as he prepared to cast his spell, I was familiar with Black Magic and I immediately recognized it as Death Magic.

Before I could make a move Erza, who I was relieved to find was still alive jumped in front of Natsu to stop Jellal's attack. I couldn't quite hear what they were saying but it looked to be that Erza was pleading with Jellal, but at this point even I knew there was nothing left to reason with.

I moved to intervene, but I was too late.

" **HEAVENLY BODY MAGIC! ALTAIRIS!** " Jellal released his spell, a massive ball of shadows surrounding a bright light.

"NOOOO!" I call out but there was nothing I could do, I was to late and because of what happened next is on me.

At the last second my old friend Simon jumped in and took the force of the attack head on. I couldn't hear exactly, but I know what she said as she screamed. There is one sound I remember hearing incredibly clearly, the thud as simon's body hit the cold ground.

"Simon!" I rushed to my friends side.

"Mason? You're alive?" Erza asked, but I didn't answer. There were more pressing matters at hand.

" **DRAGON SLAYER FORBIDDEN ART! REAPER!** " I chanted and my hands became cloaked in magic energy and I was able to plunge my hands into Simons chest where I started searching around for something. "Come on… Come on!"

"What are you doing?" Erza asked as she knelt down next to me, her eyes still watery.

"I'm trying to grab onto his soul, if I can grab it I might be able to heal it. But it's too watery!" I felt myself growing frustrated in the crisis. "I can't get a grip on it, it's literally slipping through my fingers!"

"Mason…" Simon put his hand on my arm as he looked me in the eye. "It's okay." I took the hint and stopped the spell, and looked down at my old friend. My heart sank because I knew this would be the last time. I wanted to say goodbye, but nothing came out but it wasn't me who Simon wanted to say goodbye to anyway.

"Erza…" Simon called out in a weak voice as death crept closer.

"Simon… Save your strength." Erza lifted his head up and lowered her own down to his.

"Erza.. You were the only person who made me smile." He started to smile, in his final moments.

"Simon… Don't die on me.. Simon!" Erza called out, but Simon closed eyes and would never open them again and tears began flowing from Erza's single organic eye. "NOOOOO!"

"HA! HA!" Jellal began to laugh. "HA! HA! HA! HAAAHHHAHAHAHAHAHA! What an incredibly foolish thing to do!"

That bastard! Jellal continued to monologue but I was too furious to hear him, I swore at that point I would kill him. Anger began to boil in my soul and my magic power started to surge through my body. I could feel my hair start to spike up, without even a command my Phantom Drive had been activated. I was prepared to end things, when I felt an even more intense surge of magic power nerby.

"SHUT UP!" Natsu smacked Jellal with unbelievable force, knocking him into a large crystal across the crystal

"AAAHHHH!" Jellal cried out in pain as he crashed.

Then I discovered the source of the power spike, Natsu held a chunk of Ethernano left over from the Council's attack. He lifted the glowing rock to his mouth and began to bite at it. His eyes changed a light blue color and magic power surged through his body. "RRAAAHHHH!" He slammed his arms down on the ground resulting in a wave of magic that Jellal managed to dodge. Natsu then began choking on the magic rock.

"How could you be so stupid!" Erza cried out as Natsu began to flail and struggle. "Ethernano is made out of all types of elemental magic it could poison you!"

Natsu continued to cry out in pain before Jellal started to mock him. "What an idiot. Did he really think he could power up by consuming elements other than his own. It'll certainly make my job easier if he kills himself."

It's certainly a risky move, but I don't know if it's as terrible of an idea. If the Ethernano was killing him, then Natsu's magic power would be dropping but its not. Natsu's magic power was rising fast.

"GGRRRAAAAHHHH!" Natsu growled as his body was consumed in plume of flames. His eyes began to glow red and his skin began to harden and it turned to scales all along his arms and down the sides of his face.

Natsu bolted, like a living fireball, he kneed Jellal in the face. I've never seen a wizard move that fast. "You made Erza cry!" Natsu slammed Jellal through the at least seven floors of pure crystal. "I made a promise that I can't break! Hurt her again and I'll kill you!"

"I've read this somewhere before." I said immediately recalling the countless books I've studied on Dragon Slayer Magic in the Magic Council library.

"What are you saying?" Erza who was still sitting next to me, exhausted physically and emotionally.

"Their only legends, and all the passages I've read about this are ancient but I guess it's real. Not quite a Human, not exactly a Dragon. This is the pinnacle of Dragon Slayer Magic, the Dragon Force." I explained. The next thing we knew, Jellal rocketed up out of the crater that Natsu had buried him in cloaked in a veil of golden magic. Natsu hot on his trail, leaping from rock to rock with superhuman speed.

Natsu caught up and slammed his fist into Jellal's stomach, forcing him to spit up a mouth full of saliva.

"I'm destined to create a land of Freedom!" Jellal was desperate, this was the end. Natsu had him significantly out matched. All Jellal had left was his drive and sheer determination to spur him on, it's good to see that some things never change. "I know this because in my darkest hour Zeref called out to me! There's a reason I'm the only human who can hear his voice! Because I am the chosen one! Once lord Zeref is resurrected we'll worked together to achieve true freedom!"

"And you're gonna do that by taking away everyone else's rights!" Natsu screamed back as he dodged a barrage of magic attacks.

"If that's the way it has to be than so be it!" Jellal created a massive golden magic circle. "I could care less about feeble minded fools like you."

"He's gonna cast the Abyss Break!" Erza panicked. "Don't do it Jellal, you'll destroy the tower so many died to create."

"This tower means nothing! Now that I've done it I can build another in half the time!" Jellal prepared to fire. "Lord Zerefl! Your time has come!" But before he could complete his attack, Jellal flinched in pain.

Natsu's body was consumed by flames that took the shape of a Dragon. "You'll never be free as long as you let that spirit possess you! Free yourself!" Natsu collided with Jellal ending in a devastating punch.

Jellal landed in a smoking crater and fell completely unconscious, where as natsu landed triumphantly on his feet. "Hehehe…" He chuckled as he looked back over to Erza, who ran over to catch him.

"Well looks like a happy ending." I said, but I really need to learn to watch my mouth.

RUMBLE! RUMBLE!

The tower began to shake and glow. "This is bad." I said.

"What do you mean?" Erza asked, she was carrying Natsu over her shoulder. "What's going on?"

"The tower is going to explode!" I stated, I knew this because I dealt with some magic criminals who overcharged a lightning lacrima once, it exploded and the power surge affect lacrima power in the entire city so there's no telling how big the blast radius could be for a lacrima this size.

I made my way to the circular lacrima at the center of the tower and placed my hand on it and remained silent.

"What are you going to do?" Erza asked. "Woah?" I lifted her and Natsu into the air using telekinesis so she couldn't put up a fight.

"I have to activate the R-System, then I'll discharge the built up energy upwards so that it doesn't hurt anyone." I said, not making eye contact.

"What are you crazy!" She yelled at me, she tried to struggle but didn't have enough energy to break free of my spell. "To activate the R-System you'll need a-"

"Sacrifice" I answered for her. "I know." I activated my Drive, significantly increasing my magic power, before placing my hand deeper into the giant sphere changing its color from blue to purple. "I should have enough magic power to do it…"

"What are you saying?" Erza grew a bit more panicked. "At least let me help you!"

"I'm a soldier, it's my job to lay my life on the line to protect civilians." I lifted the two of them into the air and levitated them over to the edge of the tower. "Take care of Natsu for me will ya? The world needs the Dragon Slayers. Also forget about that jerk Jellal, you deserve better than that." I smiled as I tossed them into the ocean, I trust they'll make it to safety. Then I stared back at my reflection in the lacrima and prepared myself for what I had to do. "Well, here goes nothing."

I went deeper into the lacrima, my entire arm and then my leg. It had absorb most of my torso when it finally started on my head. "It was fun while it lasted, so long Fairy Tail." When the last bit of my head entered the Lacrima I blacked out.

* * *

(In Lacrima)

It was cold in the lacrima, but everything felt smooth. Kinda like floating on the surface of water. It was hard to think, but eventually I knew I was still conscious. Then I heard a sound.

DRIP DRIP DROP DRIP DROP DROP

It was rain… I opened my eyes to see dark skies overhead and rain falling all around me. I was able to look down where I saw a graveyard. There gathered was my team, Tyson Amber, Julie and Brosnan. Guess Lahar couldn't make it, jerk. Also in the crowd was Natsu and Erza. There weren't a lot of tears, everyone was pretty somber… respectful. There was a blue cloth with the Magic Council symbol draped over a casket ready to be placed in the ground and given the context it wasn't hard to guess whose funeral this was.

"Not too bad huh, even though you were a total idiot most your life you still managed to make a couple friends." I said… to myself. "I guess I oughta pay my respects too. Do you have no regrets? No. Are there things you still wanted to do? Yeah. I will say one thing though, you did your best and had some fun along the way." I looked down at Brosnan who wasn't crying at the moment but her eyes were certainly red. "Now _that_ was a missed opportunity you dumbass, but whatcha gonna do now."

"Well that's all I got… Let's go wherever we're going." I called out above my head, but not surprisingly (seeing as I was talking to no one) received no answer. Rather a massive shadow, the silhouette of a Dragon passed over head. "Is that?" But before I could answer I felt something grab onto my hand and I was pulled towards it. "What the?"

* * *

(The Tower of Heaven)

"HUUHHH!" I took a deep breath as my head was pulled out of the lacrima followed by the rest of my body, before I fell to the floor of the crumbling tower. I looked up, confused, to see a familiar blue haired face. "Jellal?"

It was Jellal who pulled me out of the Lacrima and then helped me onto my feet. "I'm sorry…"He said with his head lowered, he was unable to make eye contact with me. "I was blinded, confused for so long and suddenly I can see again, clearly. I know that doesn't excuse what I did, but at least let me be the one who fixes this mess." Before I could answer Jellal stuck his arm into the giant crystal changing its color to gold. "I'll take care of this, now go!"

"No!" I answered, this chain of events was making my head hurt but there was one thing clear. "You're right, this sudden change of heart doesn't make things okay. But you said it yourself earlier today, even after all these years I'm still your Best Friend." I said as jabbed my arm into the lacrima making half of it change to a purple color.

"I don't know that I said Best Friend exactly, but let's go with that. Teamwork!" Jellal nodded and we both began to poor magic power into the sphere. The colors merged and a rainbow spiral began to circle around inside. Soon the whole tower began to blow a bright rainbow color and the tower fired a massive blast of magic energy into the sky, resulting in a blinding flash.

* * *

(Later)

"Ughhh…." My head felt like it was splitting in half, it was incredibly painful but that meant one thing. "I'm alive… Where am I? I remember being pulled into the lacrima then it's just blank." I tried sitting up, when the ground beneath me began to wobble and shake and I immediately grew sick. "Nooo….." I groaned sickly. "I'm on a boat…."

* * *

(End)


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter 11

(On a small wooden boat in the middle of sea, Mason's POV)

"Ughhh…." My head felt like it was splitting in half, it was incredibly painful but that meant one thing. "I'm alive… Where am I? I remember being pulled into the lacrima then it's just blank." I tried sitting up, when the ground beneath me began to wobble and shake and I immediately grew sick. "Nooo….." I groaned sickly. "I'm on a boat…."

"Ugh!" I struggled to sit up in the rocking dingy, the total lack of magic energy and rough waters did little to help my situation. "I need to get back to Era…. I'm sure my team assumes the worst at this point, so the sooner I get back the better." My eyes narrowed as I was able to focus better. "There's some stuff I need to take care of too…. I think i'm gonna be sick!" My face went green before I passed out once more….

There was nothing but blackness, then I heard a strange voice in my ear. "Who is he?"

"I don't know child, but we must be careful I can sense he's a wizard of sorts" An older man's voice replied.

That's enough, I need to know what's going on. I slowly opened my tired eyes to find a sight I was not quite expecting. "What the hell!" It turned out that my boat had washed up on the shores of a strange Island and in front of me an entire village of multicolored demons and at the head of them a certain older looking purple demon with massive sideburns that hang down almost touching the floor. "Where the hell am I!"

"Welcome to Galuna Island!" The towns people all greeted me with a friendly shout.

"Oh, that makes sense. I've read about this place in one of the Fairy Tail files." Now armed with more information, I was able to calm down and think more clearly, but there was another problem.

GRUMMBBBLLE! A loud growl rang from my stomach. "I hate to ask, but do you guys have anything to eat?" I asked, before all the towns people went pale.

* * *

(days later, on the road to Era)

 _Mason found himself alone walking the dirt road that would return him home. While he was excited to be reunited with his friends once more, he found that his mind was preoccupied by other thoughts._

'Jellal… I gave that fight everything I had in me but I didn't stand a chance, he was just toying with me. He was more powerful than I ever thought possible, Jose was a wizard saint as well but there powers were nowhere near the same level. But somehow Natsu Dragneel from Fairy Tail managed to beat him. Natsu's no slouch by any means, but regardless he's only a guild wizard. I'm a soldier, an elite at that. I've been fighting powerful evil mages almost all my life, I train nearly everyday but somehow Natsu managed to achieve a level of magic power I've never seen before. It's crazy, maybe there's more to guild life than I thought.' Mason thought to himself as he walked the lonely road.

"HELP!" A voice that sounded as if it belonged to an older man called out through the trees.

"What the!?" Mason quickly snapped out of his head. "Sounds like trouble, looks like I'm back on the clock already. Of course this world couldn't just let a dead man rest for at least a week." With that the snowy haired wizard flipped his ever dark hood on over his face and continued forward.

"AAHH! Please, just leave me alone!" An older gentlemen pleaded as he backed up into his stagecoach, he shook as he moved. "I'm no wizard, but this wagon holds everything I own. I just want to move to the capital and try to expand my business. If you take it, my livelihood will be completely destroyed."

"Well that sounds like your problem, doesn't it grandpa." One of the thugs, a muscular man with tanned skin and a bald head mocked the old merchant.

"Now hand over your wagon before things get messy." Another bandit withs slicked back black hair and a long cylindrical body.

"No please…" The old man whimpered.

"Hey!" Mason called out, his face still covered by his hood as he slowly approached the confrontation. "Walk away guys, this doesn't need to get messy. Could you really sleep at night knowing you intentionally ruined some old man's life?"

"Like a baby." The bigger brute mocked. "And it's not like he'd be the first old man anyway."

"Ever since the attack on the magic council, this road has been easy pickings for wizards of are calibur." The smaller one who appeared to be more intelligent of the two continued. "I suggest you mind your own business before things get ugly for you."

'The council was attacked?' Mason thought to himself, as he just stood there motionless.

"Not gonna walk away, huh?" The slim bandit reeled back before leaping forward. "It's your funeral! **SNAKE MAGIC! TOXIC FANG!** " The bandit opened his crooked jaw and four long fangs extended in his mouth.

"Huh?" Mason wasn't paying attention as his attacker flew through the air at him. Mason stood pat and the snakelike mage prepared to bite down on the dragon slayer, but his fangs and then his entire body just passed right through Mason unable to touch or grab onto him anywhere.

"What the?!" The attacking mage stuttered in confusion.

Mason turned around slightly and pointed his hand towards the bandit. " **PHANTOM DRAGON SHOT!"** The wizard fired a volleyball sized energy ball at the man that exploded rendering him unconscious.

Mason then turned to the muscular bandit, getting him to sweat. But he stood his ground regardless. "Grrrr…. **STONE MAKE CAGE!** " A cage made out of solid rock surrounded the hooded mage, seemingly capturing him. "HA! Gotcha, now to make my getaway!" But with a single step, Mason's body passed through the cage like it wasn't even their. "C'mon!"

" **PHANTOM DRAGON!"** Mason chanted before disappearing into midair. The muscular bandit scanned back and forth across the wooded area but couldn't see a thing, until. " **VANISHING FIST!"** Mason appeared directly in front of the man and pluged his glowing purple fist deep into his abdomen, knocking him down for the count.

With the two men now unconscious Mason pulled of his black hood and used his magic power to transform it into a long metal chain which he wrapped around the two criminals then began to lift them into the air with telekinesis letting them float like a balloon.

"Thank you sir! Thank you very much!" The old man thanked Mason with tears in his, but the Dragon Slayer simply kept walking past him.

"Don't mention it." Mason brushed him off carrying his bandit balloon along with him. 'I just hope everybody's alright…'

* * *

(Custody Enforcement Unit, Temporary headquarters)

 _In a unfurnished warehouse in Era sat at dusty old table the Custody Enforcement Units new 2nd Captain Tyson Hammer sat working on piles of unfinished paperwork._

"Crap…" The older man grumbled to himself. "Not only is there more work to deal with after news got out of the attack on the council, but those of us that are left have to pick up the slack until replacements can be found. It's especially hard now that we're down a pair of hands…" Also at the table sat Amber Celadon the new 4th captain polishing a magic pistol as well as Julia Moors the new 5th captain looking over a piece of paper. "Julia, what's the report say."

"Nothing good. After the council went down, a majority of the troops dropped out. Apparently Sieg- I mean Jellal was very popular with a lot of soldiers, and Mason's entire battalion chose to leave after receiving news of his sacrifice. Are numbers are down to about 5000 at the moment, barely enough to keep the piece. Citizens are complaining bandit attacks but unfortunately we don't have the manpower to deal with minor crimes like that." Julia explained in a depressed tone.

"Scum…" Tyson growled. "The lowest of the low, choosing to strike now while we're at are weakest and we don't have the funds to pay new soldiers to help deal with them…"

"Wait. So you mean I'm not getting paid for these?" A familiar voice called out from the corner of the room causing everyone to drop what they were doing and turn to the door where Mason stood holding his human balloon, the crooks still unconscious as Mason lifted his levitation spell letting the thugs drop to the ground. "What's up gu-uggghhh!" Mason couldn't finish before he was tackled to the ground by Julia and Amber.

"I knew it! You're alive!" Julia cried out with tears in her eyes.

"We thought you were in the tower when it went boom…" Amber didn't exactly cry or show much emotion but you could tell she was relieved.

"Yeah, I thought I was too. Guess not though." Mason smiled, but eventually he got tired of being smothered. "Okay hop up."

The two girls got off of him and Tyson offered a helping hand, Mason took it and it quickly turned into a massive bear hug. CRACK! "Your alive! The Fairys told us you sacrificed yourself in the tower." Rivers of tears began to flow from the giants eyes.

* * *

(Flashback, on the Magic Council ship after Jellal was defeated)

"Hey." Amber called out in her soft monotone voice as she examined the horizon through the scope on her riffle. "I found something." After she said this Natsu and Erza were fished out of rough waters in a net, and the two of them were reunited with their guildmates and Erza's old friends.

"Wheres Mason?" Brosnan asked, her voice flooded with concern as she and her fellow captains approached the water logged redhead.

"Mason….and simon sacrificed themselves to protect us from Jellal and his tower. They're dead..." Erza, full of sorrow addressed everyone present.

"No simon…" Sho could believe what he was hearing, as Wally removed his hat in respect.

"No! Maaahhhh-kun!" Millianna sobbed.

Amber stood silent, her eyes wide in disbelief as Tyson clinched his shaking fist. Julia covered her mouth and turned away to keep from sobbing aloud.

"No way…" Brosnan's mouth was agape as she stared out into the black waves as the tower of heaven crumbled before her. Her entire body shook as she slowly walked over to the side of the boat and put her hands on the railing. A single tear fell from her cheek and into the sea below. "How could you…. You just left….YOU DAMN IDIOT!" She screamed at the top of her lungs as more tears began to stream down her face.

* * *

(End of flashback)

"So Natsu and Erza made it out okay… That's good. Sorry for worrying all of you though." Mason lowered his head briefly feeling bad that he made all of his friends feel bad. He looked back up at Tyson. "Speaking of the boss, where is she."

"She and Lahar are both out on missions. There's been a lot of work after the council's attack, but things are starting to look up now that you're here. Maybe you can convince your soldiers to return to battle." Tyson went on with his optimism, causing Mason to sweat a bit.

"Ummm well here's the thing…" Mason said, fidgeting as he did so.

"WHAT?!" Tyson and Julia yelled, there faces covered in shock as Amber remained indifferent. "Your quiting the Custody Enforcement Unit? Why?" Tyson finished.

Mason took a second to think about it before answering. "Well, Jellal is dead… He's been my driving force for so long, but when I finally went face to face with him I didn't stand a chance. I refuse to believe that Natsu's ceiling is just higher than mine, so there's gotta be something to his strength that I'm just not getting. I need to find that thing before the next Jellal shows up and I've spent years here and I couldn't find it so it's gotta be out in the world somewhere."

"But you just got back…" Tyson pleaded once again with teary eyes. "Don't you wanna wait until Brosnan gets back?"

"Actually about that…" Mason scratched his chin. "It may be better if you guys broke the news to her. I'm not exactly great with goodbyes but I think it would help to have a head start." Just as he said this he heard a loud THUD! from behind him and he immediately got chills. He turned around to see Brosnan standing outside of her armor in the doorway a heavy napsack on the ground next to her.

She remained silent for a time as the two stared at each other. "Mason?... You're alive…"

Mason couldn't help but smile back at the girl. "Sup Boss…" Brosnan ran up and wrapped the boy in her arms and held him there for a time, a long time… "I think I'm hugged out today." Mason phased through the girls arms and took a few steps back, his face looked a bit troubled.

"What's wrong?… You look nervous.." Brosnan tried to approach again but Mason kept a safe distance.

"Nothing's wrong." Mason lied. "Coming back to life is just a bit tougher than it looks." Mason faked a smile.

"Mason-san is leaving…" Amber blurted out, causing the dragon slayer to break out in a cold sweat.

"Leaving? You already assigned him a mission, that's a shame I just got back. I guess we'll celebrate when you get back." Brosnan too happy at the return of her friend to stop smiling.

"No." Tyson spoke up, getting Mason to sweat even more. "Amber means that Mason plans to resign."

"Resign?" Brosnan sounded confused and when she looked over at Mason she could read everything on his face.

"Look on the bright side." Julia who sounded upset spoke up. "At least this time he decided to say goodbye before disappearing."

Brosnan began to shake with fury, and Mason quickly jumped in to try to calm her down. "Uh… Boss it's not personal I promise… But now that Jellal is gone, I have to find something new ya know… I'll come visit I promise…" Eventually Brosnan stopped shaking and she looked up at Mason with an extremely serious glare.

"Captain Mason Alastor." Brosnan said in an authoritative tone. "You broke command by leaving your post as supervisor of the Fairy Tail guild and at the same time impeded the operation of the Tower of Heaven. For failing to follow orders as Head Captain of the Custody Enforcement Unit, I hereby strip you of your command and relieve you of your duty. You are dismissed."

Mason was stunned for a moment, but eventually smiled back at his old friend. "Thank you sir." He saluted before turning around and walking out the door, but before he could leave.

"Where do you think you'll go?" Tyson called to him.

Mason turned back to face his old mentor. "Honestly I don't really know."

"Yeah you do…" Tyson saw right through the boy. "If you hurry you may make it back in time for the Magnolia Festival. I hear it's a spectacle that's not to be passed up."

"Uh thanks…" Mason took one last look at his friends before leaving. "Hey, I'll see you guys around. I'll be back I promise."

* * *

(Later at magnolia station)

"Ughhh…. Trains…." Mason groaned as he stepped of the loading platform still shaken from the ride, but he was quickly revitalized by the smell of baked goods and fresh flowers and soon a smile appeared on his face. "New home, new beginning. Time to get started."

Mason strolled down busy street after busy street making sure to avoid bouts of magic combat as he did so. "These fairies are crazy, hopefully they'll still have a part for me when I show up." Mason eventually reached the mainstreet of Magnolia where he found the rebuilt Fairy Tail guild hall. "Well, looks like they finished it. I hope they're ready to roll out the welcome wagon."

The door was open so Mason chose to simply stroll in. "Hello Fairy Tail, I have returned!" Mason entered the room to find Natsu and Master Makarov sitting together alone in the massive guild hall. "Okay, not the reception I was hoping for but okay…"

The two stood silently for a moment, until. "A GHOST!" Natsu jumped up in fear.

"No I'm not a ghost. I just didn't die on the tower." Mason explained with roll of his eyes.

Natsu slowly and carefully approached Mason and began to sniff the air around him. "Okay, it checks out. He's alive." Natsu said with a thumbs up.

"Listen kid, I'm a little busy right now. It's great that you're not dead and all but I don't have time to deal with the magic councils crap." The old Fairy Tail master's temper was almost as short as he was.

"No I'm not with the council anymore. You see..." Mason continued as Makarov's eyes widened. "..So I was actually kinda hoping that I could…"

Makarov turned to the boy and lifted his hand, suddenly light began to glow on the side of Mason's neck and before he could say another word the Fairy Tail guild mark had formed itself a few inches above his collarbone. "Listen kid." Makarov spoke up. "You're a member of Fairy Tail now and your guild needs you to fight are you up for it?" Mason nodded slowly as he took in the bizarre circumstances. "Ok, let me explain." Makarov was quick explaining the current situation that the guild found itself in.

"Alright, I got it." Mason stood up and saluted the guild master. "I won't let you down I promise." Mason turned to the door and began sprinting for it, but before he could exit. "OOFF!" Mason slammed into an invisible wall as red rune signs appeared before him. Natsu and Makarov both became pale as Mason picked himself up. "What the?!"

* * *

(end of chapter)


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter 12

"Alright, I got it." Mason stood up and saluted the guild master. "I won't let you down I promise." Mason turned to the door and began sprinting for it, but before he could exit. "OOFF!" Mason slammed into an invisible wall as red rune signs appeared before him. Natsu and Makarov both became pale as Mason picked himself up. "What the?!"

As the two wizards behind him gave up hope Mason began to sink through the floor beneath him before reemerging on the other side of the magic barrier. "They always forget to extend the barrier below the ground." Mason stood up and brushed off his pants.

"Wait!" Makarov called out from behind the barrier. "You were an elite in the magic council weren't you? Can't you lift this barrier."

"Yeah, probably." Mason said before turning away from the old man. "But this way was faster…" Mason then disappeared into thin air without another word.

* * *

(Later)

"All right wise guy, where are you?" The smoke wizard Wakaba Mine stood on guard as he faced the unseen foe. "I saw Freed's Runes activate, so that means there's gotta be someone else around. Quit your stalling, Mirajane and the others need saving so let's get this over with already."

"As you wish..." Mason suddenly appeared less than a meter in front of Wakaba, catching him off guard and startling him. Mason had his hood covering his face but his two bright red eyes shined through almost as if they were glowing. "Let's get this over with…" Mason lifted his arms and purple energy began to form around his hands.

"I know you, you're that council dog they sent to watch us. You're not a member of Fairy Tail!" Wakaba called out as a swarm of miniature fists made of smoke emerged from his pipe.

Mason disappeared and Wakaba's attack missed him. "I am now…" The disembodied voice called back.

"Come out and fight you coward!" The normally laxed Wakaba was becoming increasingly frustrated.

"Okay." Mason said in a mocking tone before reappearing and blasting the smoke mage in the back with a two handed blast, knocking him down. Mason walked over to the grounded veteran and picked him up by the chin and began staring into his eyes. "I'm trying to leave a good impression with my new guild mates so I'm not gonna beat you bloody. Try and remember that none of this real, ok. **Dragon Slayer Forbidden Art! Timor!** " Mason's eyes flashed before Wakaba's eyes began to glow red as well.

"AHHHH! AAAAAAHHHHHH!" Wakaba began to scream in terror for a time before he had enough. "MAKE IT STOP! I SURRENDER!" Wakaba dropped into a fetal position, as the magic rune barrier dissipated symbolizing that Mason had won the fight.

Mason snapped his fingers and Wakaba's eyes returned to normal and Mason's spell was lifted, but the mental stress caused him to collapse.

"Sorry bout that." Mason apologized as he walked past the fallen wizard. "That makes three fairies, Makarov made this sound almost like a game. I wonder if I'm winning or not?" Mason thought aloud as he walked down the streets of magnolia, the cloaked mage gathered the attention of passersby.

'I guess we're already in the late game, I can walk around freely without worrying too much about getting into a fight. It's almost sad, I wish I'd gotten here sooner.' Mason thought to himself as he scanned for any possible challengers. 'I won't act like I know the guy, I only ever met him once but…..'

* * *

(Flashback/ Mason's POV)

'Back before the events on the tower of heaven.'I narrated. 'Laxus paid the guild a visit while it was still being reconstructed and he had a few choice words for me.'

"And the biggest embarrassment of all! It turns out that you losers need a babysitter!" Laxus berated his guildmates before turning to me with a death glare. "Hey you! Council dog! Do you think you can just walk in here and make the rules like you own the place! If you think you can tell me what to do you've got another thing comin!"

I looked up at him and made sure to keep a straight. "Look I'm not here to tell you guys what to do. I'm more than willing to let you do whatever it is you do, its less paperwork for me that way. As long as you don't blow up anymore cities we should be fine." I stood up to face Laxus, but he was still a head taller than me. "You don't mess with me and I won't mess with you. Deal?"

Laxus growled a bit in frustration but eventually he backed down. "Whatever… I'm outta here anyway…"

* * *

(End of flashback)

'So it's not like I want I know him very well, but I never got the feeling that he was evil or some sort of psychopath.' Mason thought as he walked down the crowded street. 'I mean I got the feeling that he was a jerk but I just thought he was passionate about his guild. Maybe Makarov is over exaggerating, turning the girls to stone is one thing but just look.' Mason passed by shops and restaurants teaming with people in seemingly high spirits. 'Not a single civilian has been hurt, I don't think Laxus is the evil villain he's making himself out to be.'

"Um excuse me sir…" A timid middle aged woman approached Mason, shaking as she did so. "I hate to bother you but it's festival time here in magnolia and your hood is frightening the children… and some of the adults. I hope its not too much trouble if you remove it."

"Oh, no my bad…" Mason felt a bit embarrassed as his hood and cloak began to glow purple before reducing itself into a small black armband, letting his messy white hair flow in the wind. Under the cloak mason wore a sleeveless white T-Shirt along with baggy black pants. 'Crap! I'm drawing more attention to myself than the enemy…'

"Hey… Your a member of Fairy Tail right?" A man from one of the shops called out to Mason, getting him to jump without his hood on his new guild mark was clearly visible. "Can you tell us what the heck is going on? I saw a couple of your buddies fighting earlier and they almost destroyed my shop here. What's the deal?"

"Sorry…." Mason forced a smile to keep spirits high. "It was meant to be like an appetizer for the Fantasia Parade this evening but you know my guildmates I'm sure things went overboard. Just a few sparring matches for your viewing pleasure, but it's probably a better idea to keep a safe distance…"

"I swear that crazy guild of yours gives me second thoughts about living here." The shop owner said with a shake of his head.

"Haaahhh…" Mason let out a deep sigh. 'I can't get distracted, I gotta keep an eye out for trouble.'

"Woah!" A young boy with a marveled look in his eyes approached Mason from the front. "Are you really a Fairy Tail wizard, I don't recognize you at all."

"Uh, I'm brand new…" Mason's voice began to shake as more and more strangers started to approach him. "I just joined today actually, but I used to work for the magic council as a Rune Knight…."

"A Rune Knight huh? I hope you're in for a major culture shock buddy, our Fairy Tail is anything but organized and disciplined." A younger gentleman said with a chuckle.

"A new member huh? What kind of magic do you use." A lady asked from behind him.

"Look at that white hair, he's gotta be some sort of Ice Mage or something." A man answered back.

"Woah, he's pretty cute.." A Girl said with a giggle.

"So what's your name newbie." An older gentleman asked bluntly.

"I... Uh… Umm… Well…." Mason started shaking and had trouble answering. 'Crap, I can't stand crowds. This is bad, I feel like I'm gonna faint…'

* * *

(With Erza)

'Laxus you idiot!' Erza thought as she stomped down the streets of Magnolia dressed up like some sort of gothic maid complete with head dress. 'You've always been head strong and full of yourself, but you've gone and taken things too far this time. I'll defeat you and win this Battle of Fairy Tail myself! And save our friends!' Erza raced down the paved streets before she came across a crowd of people gathered around something.

"What's this?" Erza asked the crowd, but she didn't receive an answer. "Hmph! Fine, I'll find out myself!" Erza said as she tossed a man aside who was in her way. "Move it!"

Erza began to quickly muscle her way through the crowd. "What's going on here? Laxus, Is wear if you…." As she reached a clearing her eyes bulged and she lost her train of thought. "... No way…."

"Have you met Guildarts yet?" One of the crowd members yelled out.

"Is Gray single?!" One of the woman followed up.

"Shhh! Give him a chance to answer!" One of the onlookers hushed the crowd.

Mason shook as he stood, a nervous sweat began to form across his face. "W-Well.. I uh…. Ummm…." Mason stuttered for a moment but his eyes lit up as he recognized a familiar face. "Erza!" Mason phased through the crowd to make his way to his new guildmate. "You're not a statue anymore!"

SMACK! Erza struck Mason across the face, knocking jaw back as she did so. Mason paused for a moment to gather his thoughts. "Ouch!"

"What the hell were you thinking!" Erza yelled back with teary eyes. "How are you still alive, and if you were alive the whole time then why didn't you come back sooner! I cried for you! Sho, Wally and Millianna all cried for you! Why didn't you come back sooner!"

Erza was on the verge of sobbing and Mason saw that they were causing a scene. "I promise I'll tell you what happened, but not right here." Mason grabbed the redhead by her hand and the two of them vanished from sight.

"Huh? Where'd they go?" The crowd asked as they searched for the fairies.

* * *

(Later)

"Whooh!" Mason sighed in relief, whipping the sweat from his brow as he and Erza became visible once more away from the crowd. "I'm glad we got out of their."

Erza didn't quite grasp what had just happened, but when she looked down she saw that Mason's hand was still firmly intertwined with hers. She quickly pulled back from him and crossed her arms definitely as she turned her head refusing to look at him. "How dare you touch me without my consent. Last time I saw you, you flung me from the Tower of Heaven and then I watched it explode and you have yet to explain how your standing here today. For all I know you could be some sort of imposter."

Mason stood stunned for a moment before he began crossing as well. "Your one to talk. Last time I saw you, you were a statue. Now I'm here fighting for a guild I just joined an hour ago. How do I know Laxus or one of his buddies isn't using shapeshifter magic to try and take me out of the game."

"Hmph!" Erza scoffed. "As if anyone would need to use underhanded tactics to beat you. What are they scared you'll pull another useless power up out of your ass." Erza continued in a mocking tone. "Behold! My Phantom Drive that never works on anyone! Now tremble!"

"Oh yeah…" Mason glared back at his childhood friend. "I could kick your sorry butt no matter which of your bazillion armors you choose to use. Tell me has the mighty Purgatory Armor ever actually beat anybody." Mason kept an angry glare for a few more seconds before it broke into a smile. "I guess we both have explaining to do."

* * *

(Even Later)

"Okay, so how exactly does having a glass eye keep you from becoming a total statue?" Mason asked as the two teenagers strolled down a nearly empty street.

"Because Evergreen's attack only worked if she looked in both of her targets eyes. You tell me how you got back from Galuna Island!" Erza called back more demanding than her companion.

"Uh… I took a boat…" Mason said as if it were obvious. Mason stood silent for a moment getting Erza to stop as well. "Listen, I just wanted to say that i'm sorry… about Jellal…"

"Waahhh!" Erza jumped back, she clearly wasn't expecting to hear that name. "Wh-What do you mean? He was our enemy, and he hurt so many people! H-He got what was coming to him right?"

"Cut the crap…" Mason deadpanned. "Don't treat me like Natsu or Gray, I'm not that dense. I know you were crushing on him pretty hard. And… he was my friend too. Sometimes I wish he was still with us, even when we were on the tower I thought deep down that I could change him back to the way he was before but I couldn't. Part of me for some reason refuses to accept the fact that he's dead, I mean if I got out okay why couldn't he ya know but I think I have accepted that the Jellal we knew back when we were kids is gone…" Mason lowered his head before he felt a comforting hand on his shoulder.

"No you don't." Erza said with a smile. "You're like me deep down Jellal will always be your friend and he'll always be a part of you, but you're on the right track. Neither of us will ever forget the person he was, but I think both of us need to do a better job of getting over him."

"Y-yeah.." Mason nodded and the two slowly continued their walk. They didn't get much further before Mason's nose began to twitch. "Crap!" Mason grabbed hold of Erza's arm and brought her in close to his chest and rose his other hand into the sky and created a shield of magic energy that blocked an incoming barrage of Magic blasts.

Meanwhile, as Mason kept the bullets of light away from him and Erza the sword mage's face began to turn a bright red as she felt her old friends arm tight around her shoulder. She looked up and got a good look at Mason's brand new snow white guild mark. 'Am I dreaming?...'

"How cute!" The unseen foe called out from above. "I never could've guessed that Titania would be the type to go out and get a boyfriend!"

Mason sniffed around trying to pick up the scent of their attacker, before he lept to the top of one of the surrounding buildings.

"Hey wait!" Erza called out before following the boy up to the rooftop. When she got up there she saw Mason staring down a girl with brown hair tied in a sideways ponytail wearing a flower like green dress with white wings protruding from the back and glasses over her eyes. "Evergreen…" Erza growled.

"Wow Titania, this one's actually pretty cute. I always you'd settle for a one of those other losers like Natsu or Gray." The brunette taunted.

"Evergreen?" Mason mulled the name over in his head for a bit. "Yeah Makarov mentioned you, your one of Laxus' Thunder Buddies or something like that. You're the one who turned all the ladies into stone. I don't typically like fighting girls but that's reason enough to kick your butt." Mason began channeling magic power into his fists as he prepared for battle.

"Listen your new right?" Evergreen asked not really taking the boy seriously. "So I'm not gonna act like this is really your fight, so if you wanna leave now's your chance."

"Pffft! As if! Last time I checked this was called The Battle of Fairy Tail right?" Mason lifted his head to extend his neck and show off his guild mark. "This symbol means that this is just as much my fight as it is anyone's! Now let's go! You and me!"

"Haha! I guess you've made your point." Evergreen said as she fiddled with her glasses a bit. "If you're really that anxious to die, than who am I to get in your way?"

"Wait just a second!" Erza blurted out before she summoned a short sword to her hand. "If you think you can leave me out, you have another thing coming! I have to defend my guild too!"

"Fine! I'll take you both on and prove who the real queen of the fairies is!" Evergreen smiled as she prepared a magic attack in her hands.

Mason began smiling a toothy grin as he couldn't help but get excited for a fight but his nose suddenly began to twitch once more and his face suddenly went pale. "No way….." Muttered loud enough for the other two to hear.

"Mason you look terrified, is something wrong." Erza was quick to ask.

"You can handle this without me right? There's something I need to take care of." Mason didn't even look at Erza to answer her.

"What's going on, are you okay?" Erza tried to approach her friend but before she could he vanished from sight.

* * *

(Elsewhere)

On the outskirts of Magnolia, a man cloaked in tattered blue sporting a mask over his face and carrying an array of magic staffs on his back. "Home at last." The strange man spoke in an voice that was frighteningly familiar. "I'm here to put an end to you Laxus." But before this stranger could take another step.

BOOOMM! An explosion of purple energy erupted in front of the strange man stopping him in his tracks, the new comer looked off in the distance to see Mason standing atop a building with his hand pointed out towards the man.

"You have major balls coming here, I'll tell you. Did you think I wouldn't smell you coming a mile away, and that I'd ever let you anywhere near me or my friends again without a fight? I'd recognize your stench a hundred miles away." Mason lifted his hand and magic energy began to glow around the strangers ask before it was yanked of his face, revealing a mess of blue hair. "I knew you were still alive, but I never thought you'd be stupid enough to show your face around here Jellal!"

* * *

(end)


	13. Chapter 13

Chapter 13

"I knew you were still alive, but I never thought you'd be stupid enough to show your face around here Jellal!" Mason screamed as the stranger lifted his head to reveal that he did in fact look absolutely identical to Jellal, down to the red marking on the side of his face. It was impossible to mistake him for anyone else, even twins weren't that identical.

"Wait!" Jellal called back. "I'm not the Jellal you know, my name is Mystogan!" He called back lifting the bandages on his right arm to reveal a Fairy Tail guild mark. "I'm a member of Fairy Tail just like you!"

"Liar…" Mason growled back. "You really think I'll buy this crap again! Jellal! Siegrain! Mystogan! I don't give a crap what you call yourself! You're dead!"

"Please calm down!" Mystogan called back trying to ease tensions. "I promise I can explain myself, lets just talk about it!" Mystogan took a small step as show of faith, but as he did so a cage of red ruins erupted in the area containing him and Mason.

"Looks like talking is no longer an option…" Mason said as he began summoning magic energy into his hands. " **PHANTOM DRAGON'S CANNON!"** He brought his hands together and created a massive blast of magic energy.

" **THREE LAYERED MAGIC CIRCLE!"** Mystogan acted out in self defense and performed a series of hand movements resulting in the creation of wall of three magic circles in front of him. " **MIRROR WATER!"** The magic circles caught Mason's attack before sending the magic blast back at its caster but there was no target to be hit. "Where did he-"

" **VANISHING FIST!"** Mason appeared in front of Mystogan and struck with a magic charged fist that the blue haired wizard just barely managed to dodge, but Mason wasn't finished. " **PHANTOM DRAGON'S ROAR!"** Now at point blank range, Mason unleashed his breath attack and the swarm of magic phantoms consumed Mystogan. BOOMMM! A large magic explosion erupted where Mystogan was standing and after the smoke cleared Mystogan stood pat and it didn't appear that he had taken much damage.

"You're a Dragon Slayer?" Mystogan looked shocked at this revelation which only served to further irritate Mason.

"Grrrrr….. DON'T ACT LIKE YOU DON'T KNOW WHO I AM!" Mason snapped as magic energy started collecting around his foot. " **PHANTOM DRAGON'S STRIKE!"** Mason spun around on one foot and preformed a sweeping kick but Mystogan used one of his numerous magic staffs to block the attack. Mason then went to plan B as he fired another punch charged with magic energy at his foe but Mystogan grabbed him by the wrist bringing his attack to halt.

Mystogan had a hold of Mason making him unable to attack. "Now Listen to me! I'm not Jellal!" The blue haired mage tried once more to reason with the Dragon Slayer.

"SHUT UP!" Mason called out and in his rage generated a shock wave that forced Mystogan to release him. " **PHANTOM DRIVE!"** Mason's eyes were completely consumed by a bright purple glow and magic energy began to radiat off of him like a violet flame. "Die…" Mason growled as he created an energy ball the size of a beach ball in his hand before flinging it at his opponent.

" **THREE LAYERED MAG-"** Before mystogan could finish his spell the magic blast was upon him. BOOM! The impact of the energy blast sent the caped wizard flying.

"Ughh…" Mystogan rested his head hand as he climbed back to his feet. " This is bad… He's somehow stronger than he was before. I've never seen magic amplification like this its like the very magic inside him has somehow been super charged…"

Before Mystogan could fully regain his footing Mason pounced once more, his hands now replaced with claws made of magic energy. "AAAHHHH!" Mason roared as he swiped his new claws at Mystogan. His anger making him more animalistic by the second.

He went for a forward swipe that Mystogan dodged expertly, before drawing one of his staves from behind him. This particular staff had fan like head and used it to fire a powerful energy blast that knocked Mason backwards and left his body smoking. "Stay down." Mystogan warned but it was no use as Mason climbed once more to his feet. "The you've brought this upon yourself. **FIVE LAYERED MAGIC CIRCLE! SACRED SONG!"**

Five distinct magic circles began to form above Mason's head and a bright purple light began to shine through them before a massive wave of magic energy was dropped on Mason's head. "AAHHHAAAGGHHHH!" Mason groaned as he struggled to hold himself up against sheer force of the attack. When the magic blast subsided Mason dropped to one knee and began panting heavily, as the power boost granted from his Drive spell wore off.

Mystogan walked slowly over to exhausted Dragon Slayer, his fan like staff aimed at himthe whole time. "Stand down!" Mystogan demanded.

"Haah haahh Never…." Mason said as he panted, even though he was in no condition to continue fighting his body was covered in scratches and burns and his legs shook beneath the weight of his body. "AAAAHHHHHAAAAAAHHHH!" Magic energy exploded from Mason's body as he called on the remainder of his strength."I'M NOT GONNA LOSE TO YOU AGAIN!" Mason fired another energy blast from his hands.

"Gaahh!" The energy blast was too fast for Mystogan to dodge, forcing him to jump out of the way to dodge the attack, but after the attack flew by him he looked up to see two glowing purple eyes staring him down. "What?!"

" **PHANTOM DRAGON ROAR!"** Mason's cheeks swelled and he opened his jaw and a cyclone of purple ghosts consumed Mystogan's body once again striking him at close range.

"Haahhh…" Mystogan had crossed his arms and his staff to defend himself from the attack but as the smoke cleared around him he realized that Mason was no longer in front of him.

" **PHANTOM DRAGON'S STRIKE!"** Mason cried out as he suddenly appeared behind the blue haired wizard and slammed his glowing foot into his back, knocking him to the ground. Mason grabbed him off the ground, pulling him up by his shirt as he charged his fist with magic power.

"OUUFFFF!" Mystogan let out a pained grunt as Mason drilled his fist into his stomach. The dragon slayer reeled back again before launching a punch that smashed Mystogan's face and sent him flying backwards. "HACKK!" The beaten Mystogan let out a mouthful of blood as he got back up on his knees. "That's it. I'm done playing around!" Mystogan grabbed his fan-staff and fired an energy blast at Mason.

Before the energy blast could hit Mason disappeared from sight as the attack just flew past. He became visible once more right next to Mystogan where he drove another kick into his stomach. "TOO WEAK!" Mason called out as his foe went flying

"AAHHHAAHHH!" Mystogan let out a pained cry as his body bounced across the dirt floor before coming to a stop.

"Come on Jellal! Use your heavenly body magic or that seven star spell or something!" Mason's voice was filled with a mixture of emotions as he seemed to be losing it. "None of this matters if you don't try!" Mason was in tears but at the same time a twisted smile had formed on his face.

"You want to experience my most powerful spell? Fine! But don't say I didn't warn you!" Mystogan planted all five of the Staves into the ground as purple magic began to surge between them as a massive violet magic circle erupted from this surging power. " **SKYSCRAPER…"**

A massive magical explosion erupted beneath Mason's feet launching him into the air. "What the hell!?" Mason exclaimed as he hurrdled up through the sky, the ground getting further and further away as he couldn't stop his ascent. Soon he was up past the atmosphere and staring into the darkness of space when a hole began to open, revealing a massive toothy monster. "Heh…" Mason began to grin before opening his mouth wide as he began to swallow the very space around him.

Soon mystogan's spell was broken as Mason stood whiping his mouth after the meal. "Sorry, but fear or illusion magic isn't gonna work on me. I do appreciate the snack though." Mason opened a large magic circle beneath his feet that caused an energy surge that made his hair stand up straight. "Time to finish things! **DRAGON SLAYER SECRET ART: CURSED SOUL! 10000 PHANTOMS!** " A swarm of purple ghosts exploded from Mason, the swarm flew directly up at first but changed direction midair and began to fly for Mystogan.

"Waah! Haah!" Mystogan managed to jump out of the way of two of the but there were too many of them and they moved too fast. BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! KABOOM! A series of explosions ending in a large one finally incapacitated Mystogan.

"Haahh… Haahh… Haahh…" Mason panted as he slowly walked over to the beaten Mystogan and picked him up by the hair, then created a magic claw in his other hand and held it up to his stomach. "Haah… I did it… I beat Jellal!" Mason celebrated, but his smile slowly faded.

"Yes… You beat me." Mystogan replied sounding just as exhausted as the dragon slayer. "So what now, You'll kill me?"

"I-I uh…" Mason was caught completely off guard on what he had to do next. He looked down at his glowing magic claw and his hand began to shake. "I... I…" His eyes widened for a moment, before he lowered his head and dispelled his claw magic before dropping Mystogan to the ground.

"I'm not the Jellal you know, please believe me." Mystogan tried to convince the dragon slayer now that things have calmed down a bit. His voice was full of sincerity.

Mason looks away for a moment then he turned back to Mystogan before closing his eyes and taking in a deep breath through his nose and when he opened his eyes he saw a small blue mist like substance surrounding Mystogan. "Haaahhhhh…." He sighed. "You're telling the truth…" Mason fell onto his back with his arms splayed out wide. "Your soul is too clean. There's no way your the Jellal I know…. Sorry…" Mason lifted Mystogan's mask into the air an the mysterious wizard quickly snatched it back and covered his face once more. "I guess I understand why that mask is so important to you, but if you're not the real Jellal than who are you?"

Mystogan extended a hand and pulled Mason up to his feet. "I suppose I can tell you, but it's important that as few people know this secret as possible." Mystogan stared directly into Mason's ruby red eyes. "Can I trust you?"

"Uh… Yeah I won't tell a soul!" Mason said with a grin.

* * *

(Later)

"So…. Your name IS Jellal and You're a prince from another dimension…." Mason tried to keep a serious face.

"You don't believe me?" Mystogan didn't sound surprised by this reaction.

"No no, I mean I'm in no position to judge. I was raised by a Dragon after all." Mason reassured. "It's just if you're a magic prince then why are you here in this world?"

"That, you don't need to know right now." Mystogan deadpanned. "More importantly if you have the ability to sense a person's soul, whether they are good or evil? Can't you use that ability to sense where Laxus is, his soul should be easy to detect among the crowd."

"You'd think right?" Mason said understanding where the question was coming from. "My ability to see souls is pretty flawed in the long run which is why I choose more often not to use it. The way it works is that there are essentially three kinds of souls I can see. Souls of good people which tend to be blue in color, souls of bad people which tend to be dark red and the souls of those in between that tend to be purplish. The thing is there are more purple souls than any others, and it looks as though that Laxus is probably one of those in between souls right now. You have to have done something pretty messed up to get a red soul like murder, and no ones dead yet so we're out of luck."

"Well that's unfortunate, I guess it's up to me to find him myself." Mystogan said as he prepared to leave.

"Wait a second, where do you think you're going." Mason jumped to catch up with the fleeing wizard. "I can help you, to make up for attacking you out of nowhere."

"No thanks I'll handle this myself." Mystogan said ignoring the Dragon Slayers plea. "I don't want to risk anymore collateral damage than necessary."

"What's that supposed to mean!" Mason's eyes sharpened in anger. "Listen! I just kicked your butt didn't I. I should be the one to fight laxus, or should at least be there in case you can't beat him!" Mystogan glared back frightening the dragon slayer. "What? Do they not have jokes in opposite world? Heh.. Heh…. Anyway, you can't expect me to just stay here while you go out to fight on your own."

"Yes I can." Mystogan said as he grabbed his fan staff from behind his back. " **Sleep."**

"Wha?" Mason said as his footsteps began to slow and his eyes began to grow heavy. "Hey… Wait.." Mason summoned magic energy to his hand and aimed it at the fleeing Mystogan but he fell back and the blast was fired straight up into the air. "Haaaahhhh! Shuuuuuhhhh!" Mason passed out and was totally asleep.

Mason laid asleep for a few moments as Mystogan fled the scene completely. The dragon slayer snored peacefully for few seconds before the energy blast he let loose earlier fell back to earth and collided with a small rock next to the sleeping mage. BOOOMM! "HUH?!" The sound of the exploding rock was enough to jar Mason from his slumber. "Huh, Jellal? Where'd you go?" Mason looked around a few times before he got a whiff of the air. "There you are he smirked."

* * *

(Later at Kardia Cathedral)

The lightning mage Laxus and Mystogan stood face to face in the center of the church as they prepared for battle. "Let's settle this here and now Mystogan." Laxus stood back with a his arms crossed and a crooked grin plastered on his face. "Or should I say?" Before laxus could finish Mystogan fired a magic blast from his fan-like staff but Laxus countered with a blast of lightning. The collision resulted in a shock wave that shattered all windows in the building and could be felt throughout the entire city.

"How did you know about that?" Mystogan called back.

"Ya know it's really not that hard to figure out!" Mason made himself visible and called out from one of the rafters of the church getting the attention of the two combatants. "If you really want to confuse people try doing a voice or maybe wear something other than black and dark blue." Mason taunted from above.

"What are you doing here! I thought I placed a sleeping spell on you!" A confused Mystogan called back.

"I know you! Your that council loser sent here to babysit the guild!" Laxus growled as his body began to surge with lightning magic. "I thought I told the old man no outside help!"

"Actually that's former council loser." Mason replied before dropping from the ceiling. "I'm a full fledged member of Fairy Tail." He pointed to his guild mark for proof.

"Good for you." Laxus brushed this off before turning to Mystogan. "So you think you need to double team me? You can bring as many fighters as you want, but it won't matter!"

"Actually I told him to remain behind, but as long as he's here I guess I could use the assistance." Mystogan relented with a sigh.

"No way!" Mason said with a smirk getting Mystogan to sweat. "I gave you the chance to join forces and you tried to put me to sleep. The battle of Fairy Tail is a battle royale right? That means both of you are my enemy. He said it himself if we wanted to stop the thunder palace we had to beat him in a fight. That's exactly what I plan to do, but I'm gonna take Mystogan down with me!"

"HAHA! Someone's finally getting what I'm talking about! Let's get this show on the road!" Laxus slammed his fist down into the ground and a wave of lightning shot across the floor.

Mason and Mystogan both lept in the air, with the former drawing his magic staff and pointing it at Mason. "If it's a battle royale you want, than so be it." He fired a magic blast at the Dragon slayer.

Mason disappeared and reamerged behind Laxus and his cheeks began to swell. " **PHANTOM DRAGON'S ROAR!"** A massive spiral of purple ghosts erupted from the dragon slayer's mouth and blasting the blonde mage from behind.

"GAH!" Laxus wasn't expecting the attack and took a bit of damage. "A dragon slayer, huh? You better be stronger than that loser Natsu!" Laxus turned around and blasted a handful of lightning at the white haired wizard.

"Ughh!" Mason crossed his arms to block the attack but the sheer magic power was enough to knock him back. "You are strong, not as strong as Jellal but stronger than Jellal."

"What!?" Laxus blinked a few times in confusion.

"Well that means no holding back!" Mason growled. " **PHANTOM DRIVE!"** Mason's body once more erupted with magic power shaking Kardia Cathedral. " **PHANTOM DRAGON'S CANNON!"** Mason's put his hands together and blasted a massive amount of magic energy.

"HAAAHH!" Laxus threw a lightning bolt in an attempt to stop the energy blast, but it wasn't enough. The energy blast barreled past Laxus' defenses and made contact with its target. BOOM! "AAAGHH!" Laxus grunted, but in the end he managed to survive the massive attack. "Not bad, you may just be stronger than that pink haired loser. Bu not strong enough! Huh?" Laxus readied another lightning attack but Mason had once again vanished "Where'd you go? Gah!" Mason reappeared and locked Laxus arms in a martial arts hold.

"Now Jellal!" Mason called out as magic circles began to form above he and Laxus' head.

" **FIVE LAYERED MAGIC CIRCLE! SACRED SONG!"** Mystogan called out as magic energy began crashing down from above creating a massive purple explosion.

"Ugh!" Mason groaned receiving as much if not more damage than than Laxus did in that attack. ZAP! "Aghh!" Mason's body was blasted with magic lightning, knocking him away.

"Haha!" Laxus laughed from the clouds of smoke that encased him. "This is getting to be fun!"

"Grrr!" Mason growled in frustration before vanishing once more from sight. " **PHANTOM DRAGON VANISHING FIST!** " Mason appeared directly in front of Laxu and hit him in the chin with an uppercut. The attack didn't do much as Laxus countered with a fist full of lightning. "AAHHAAAHH!" Mason groaned as he flew backwards through the air, but mid flight he extended his hand and a small magic circle appeared on Laxus' chest. " **PHANTOM DRAGON'S TERRIBLE RUNE!"**

"AAHHHHGGG!" Laxus cried as purple magic energy began to surge across his body damaging him in the process, but the attack quickly wore off.

As Mason landed Laxus already had a lightning attack ready and he through it so that the Dragon Slayer would have no time to dodge, but Mystogan stepped in to intervene. " **THREE LAYERED MAGIC CIRCLE! MIRROR WATER!"** Three magic circles appeared in front of mystogan and the attack was deflected and sent back at Laxus.

Laxus simply tanked the attack, receiving almost no damage. "C'mon boys, is that the best you can do?"

"Haahh.. Haah.." Mystogan and Mason both panted almost in sync. "He's really strong.." Mason pointed out.

"You don't say?" The hooded wizard snapped back. "At least things can't get much worse."

"Mystogan?" A familiar female voice called out from behind the two wizards. "And Mason?"

"Laxus!" A second familiar voice called out.

"Erza!" Mystogan called back and exclaimed.

"You shouldn't leave yourself open like that!" Laxus taunted as he hurled a lightning bolt directly at Mystogan's head. ZAP!

* * *

(End)


	14. Chapter 14

(Author's notes)

Hey guys, I just wanted to think all of you guys who have been reading each and every new chapter these last couple of weeks, but I needed to ask something of you. If there is anything you'd like me to do or change or add to make this story better please do so in the Review section, I love to work with my readers on finding ways to make this story the best it can be and if you do like this story please follow and favorite and tell me what you like about it in the review section. My plan is to update weekly like I've been doing so go ahead and follow the story to keep updated.

Chapter 14

"You shouldn't leave yourself open like that!" Laxus taunted as he hurled a lightning bolt directly at Mystogan's head. ZAP!

Mason jumped in front of the lightning and took the blast himself. "GAAAHHHAAA!" Mason cried out in pain, as the attack took its toll.

"What!?" Mystogan called out in confusion, the other two fairy tail wizards just stood back and watched with wide eyes.

"Hey!" Mason called back as he slowly recovered, straightening his legs out and standing tall to face Laxus. "If you're not gonna be helpful you may as well try and deal with the lightning palace I can take care of this myself." Mason said as he charged magic power to his fists.

Mystogan smiled under his masks before taking his leave. "I guess you're right, I'll see what I can do." Mystogan slowly exited the church leaving things to Mason.

"What the hell's with him!" Natsu yelled as Mystogan walked out. "And who are you?!"

"I don't know, but something about him seems familiar…" Erza added, watching the mysterious mage as he disappeared amongst the streets of Magnolia.

"Hey fairies! That goes for you too, if your not gonna go help Mystogan then go find something to do cause your just getting in the way." Mason growled as he glared down the lightning mage.

"Hey!" Natsu cried back with angry eyes, as he stepped up to fight. "I called dibs on Laxus! You get out of the way!"

"Don't worry." Erza followed holding her thumb up in support. "You're part of the guild now which means you don't have to fight alone."

The three wizards stared down a smirking Laxus before something came to Mason's attention. "Wait a second! There's three of us and only one of him! That's not fair at all!"

"What?..." Erza blinked in utter disbelief of what she was hearing.

"You're right!" Natsu called back in agreement. "But we have to stop Laxus. I guess I'll just fight him myself." Natsu smiled as his fists were set ablaze.

"I have an idea." Mason smiled as he slowly walked over to Laxus before turning to face Natsu and Erza. "Laxus and I versus the two of you."

"You can't be serious…" Erza didn't even blink this time she just stared at the inprobable scene playing out. "There's no way we would agree to…"

"FINE BY ME!" Natsu blurted out as his body began to smoke. "I'll take the both of you on! I'm all fired up!" Natsu's body erupted into flames as he prepared for battle.

"HAHAHA!" Laxus began to laugh as the scene began to play out before him. "Leave it to the Dragon Slayers to understand what I'm getting at! The final round of the battle of Fairy Tail begins now!"

"ALRIGHT! LETS GO!" Natsu roared as he charged forward, his fist engulfed in flames. "GAAAHHHHH! I'M COMING FOR YOU LAXUS!"

"Wait a second you idiot!" Erza called back to her ally but she was too late.

As Natsu charged forward Mason appeared in front of him seemingly from nowhere. " **PHANTOM DRAGON'S VANISHING FIST!"** Mason clocked his fellow dragon slayer in the face, knocking him to the ground. "Natsu…" Mason spoke in a serious tone. "I won't lie, I've been hoping to fight you. I decided to join Fairy Tail because of you. Because you beat Jellal all on your own. I want to experience that power to see just how far I have to go, so don't hold back!"

"If that's what you want!" Natsu growled back as he lifted himself off the ground with a massive plume of flames that blasted Mason away. "I'm all fired up! **FIRE DRAGON'S IRON FIST!** " Natsu smacked Mason in the face knocking him backwards.

"Ugh!" Erza groaned. "Those idiots! I swear any excuse to fight is good enough for them."

"Well with those two occupied looks like it's just you and me red…" Laxus smirked as lightning danced across his body. "I'm sick of standing around! Let's get this show on the road!" Laxus threw down a bolt of lightning at Erza and their battle began.

Mason stumbled backwards before wiping a bit of blood from his lip as he glared back at Natsu. " **PHANTOM DRIVE!"** Mason's eyes flashed purple before his aura exploded off his body. " **PHANTOM DRAGON'S CANNON!"** Mason shot a massive two handed blast at Natsu.

"Wha!?" Natsu crossed his arms to block, but it wasn't enough the force of the blast knocked Natsu backwards sending him crashing into a wall. "GAAHH!" He cried out before falling back to the ground. "Ugh… What the hell, your magic power the out put is almost doubled…"

"The phantom drive…" Mason explained. "There are three types of dragon slayers in this world, there are those like you and gajeel who are natural born wizards trained by living dragons, then there are those who have dragon slaying attributes given to them via a lacrima. Finally there's me I am wizard who was trained by a dragon, but at the same time I have a dragon slaying lacrima implanted in my body. Drive allows me to use both at the same time, doubling my dragon slayer abilities." Mason's aura flashed once more as he began to breathe in deep. " **PHANTOM DRAGON'S ROAR!"** Mason blasted a mouthful of purple phantoms that completely consumed Natsu. KABOOOM!

" **FIRE DRAGON'S ROAR!"** A blast of flames flew out from the smoke plume and Mason quickly blocked the fire. "AAAAHHHHH!" Natsu jumped out of the smoke his foot cloaked in flames. " **FIRE DRAGON'S TALON!"** Natsu slammed his foot down hard shattering Mason's barrier and kicking him in the stomach.

"UUUFFFF!" Mason slumped over and grabbed his stomach in pain as Natsu moved to attack.

"I don't care if you're some super dragon slayer or whatever! I'm gonna take you down and then I'm coming for Laxus!" Natsu's arms burst into flames as he stepped forward. " **FIRE DRAGON'S WING ATTACK!"** Natsu threw his arms forward with streams of flames following them. "What?!" He stared shocked as Mason caught his flaming arms with his hands which were cloaked by glowing purple claws.

" **PHANTOM DRAGON'S CLAWS!"** Mason called out as he threw Natsu's arms away and striking with his claw. He swiped threw Natsu's Body leaving three long purple scratch marks on his chest that shocked his body, but didn't leave a visible scratch.

"AAAHHH! What the hell was that?!" Natsu grabbed his chest in pain.

"My claws don't harm the physical body, they hurt the soul.." Mason smirked at Natsu's shock. "A living soul can regenerate itself, so don't worry this won't leave permanent damage, but man it's gonna hurt.."

"GRRRRR!" Natsu growled as he looked down on the painful mark on his chest. "AAAAHHHHHH!" Natsu yelled as flames erupted around him seemingly burning the mark off. "Is that the best you got?"

(Meanwhile with Erza and Laxus)

"HAAAAAHHHHHH!" Erza called out as she brought her sword down on Laxus who vanished in a bolt of lightning.

"HAHA! Too slow red!" Laxus taunted reforming on the other side of the church. "You'll never hit me with that dinky sword, and to think the old man decided you were good enough to be considered S-Class! He really is losing it, I should've done something about you losers much sooner!"

"Shut it Laxus!" Erza growled back at the gloating blonde as her body began to glow. " **REQUIPPED! LIGHTNING EMPRESS ARMOR!"** A light blue armor with golden highlights formed on her body, with a strong breastplate and massive shoulder pads. Her hair was put into a long braid and she summoned a massive staff to her hand. "Lets see if you enjoy a taste of your medicine!" Erza blasted a blue lightning bolt from the tip of her staff directly for Laxus.

"Hehe…." Laxus chuckled before inhaling through his mouth and swallowing Erza's electrical attack. "Tasty…" Laxus' body began to surge with an even more magic power.

"Well this isn't good." Erza said as she reaquipped her traditional armor. "NATSU! SWITCH!"

"Huh?" Natsu called back, his hands full dealing with the powered up Mason. "Hell yeah!" Natsu back flipped away from his fellow Dragon Slayer switching fighting partners with Erza.

"Hey! What the hell!? We aren't done yet!" Mason whined like a kid who was told to stop playing outside.

"Quit being a baby!" Erza called back as she lunged forward sword in hand. "If you must fight then I'll be your foe!" She swung forward with her short sword but the blade just passed Mason's body. "What?"

"Sorry Erza but an attack like that can't hurt me. Hate to say it but you'll never be able to beat me using swords." Mason looked disappointed for a split second before a devious smile sprouted on his face. "But me on the other hand." Mason joked as he blasted Erza away with an energy ball. "HAHA! What were you saying earlier about me never beating anyone, well looks like things are about to change."

"We'll see about that! **REQUIPPED!** " Erza's body began to glow bright and her armor transformed into the robes of a traditional Japanese priestess including a bright red Hakama and white Kosode. She pulled out a long katana with a hilt that looked like a ritual candle and the blade became cloaked in a holy blue flame. " **HOLY ARMOR!"** Erza leapt forward in her new armor and swung her sword at her foe.

Mason stood pat as he planned to avoid the attack the same as earlier but something felt off. " **BARRIER!"** In the last second Mason put up a magic shield to block Erza's attack, but his barrier wouldn't last long as Erza shattered it using sheer force but Mason managed to jump out of the way before she could strike him. "What the hell is that!"

"My holy blade can cleave through any spirit or demon with ease you're phantom powers are no match for me!" Erza stood prideful with her sword in hand as if she'd already won the fight.

"Fine! If you wanna fight with a magic sword, I'll use one of my own!" Mason smiled as his black wristband started to glow purple before transforming itself into a long black katana. Mason began to funnel his own magic power into the blade and it began to glow with bright purple magic energy. "En Guarde!"

"HAAAAHHHHH!" Erza lunged forward and swung her holy blade forward. KLANG! It was met with Mason's own sword cloaked in unholy magic. "HAAAAHHHHHHH!" KLANG! CLASH! KLANG! KLANG! CLASH KLANG! A flurry a slashes and strikes erupted between the two sparks of blue and purple flying off each collision of blades but it looked as though the battle had become a stalemate which began to frustrate the red haired wizard. "What the hell do you think you're doing? The more time we spend fighting amongst ourselves the less powerful we'll be when it comes time to face Laxus! If he wins he may activate the thunder palace, don't you care what happens to all the innocent people or did that explosion from the Tower of Heaven really fry your brain!?"

"Relax!" Mason said with a smile. "Laxus isn't gonna win, Natsu hasn't even gotten serious yet. If things ever really went south then Natsu could just use his Dragon Force again like he did against Jellal and wipe the floor with Laxus."

"Wait…. You were banking on Natsu's Dragon Force this whole time?" Erza lowered her guard as the two Fairy Tail stopped fighting.

"Yeah, as long as Natsu's here we're fine he's probably the strongest wizard in the country with that in his back pocket." Mason said scratching the back of his head. "So I figured if Natsu isn't taking things seriously and going all out to win, then why should I? Was that wrong?"

Erza face palmed at this. "Two things. First no matter how dire the situation, Natsu never takes things seriously. Second the power boost from the tower of heaven was temporary was achieved by consuming a small amount of Ethernano and he can't access it on his own."

"R-Really?" Mason asked before looking over to find Natsu struggling with his fight with Laxus. He was having trouble avoiding the speed of the lightning attacks and missing far more of his own attacks than he was landing. "Uh oh…. I've made a terrible mistake." Mason admitted as he transformed his katana back into a wristband. "Now I gotta fix it…" He said staring back at Laxus.

"Hey wait I can help!" Erza said as she transformed back into her standard armor.

"No.." Mason answered finally getting serious. "We already saw that you aren't a good matchup for him. You should go help Mystogan deal with the Thunder Palace just in case Natsu and I aren't enough to to deal with Laxus. Like you said the priority is keeping the civilians safe." Erza nodded before running out of the church as Mason prepared to face the foe.

"GAAAHHH!" Natsu cried out as Laxus slammed him down. "GRRR! GGRRRR!" Natsu tried to struggle free as Laxus held a fist full of lightning over him.

"HAHAHA! I told you Natsu! Weaklings like you don't deserve a place in Fairy Tail! You shoulda just walked away when you had the chance! Now I'm gonna teach you a lesson you'll never forget." Laxus prepared to slam down his electrified down on the fire dragon's chest but before he could move a massive blast of magic energy knocked the blonde off of the young wizard.

"Hey, you okay?!" Mason asked as rushed over to help his guildmate to his. "Sorry this is all my fault!" Mason bowed apologetically. "I overestimated you, I thought you could take Laxus down on your own like you did Jellal but I put you and the rest of the city in danger!"

"HEY!" Natsu growled back sounding more insulted than relieved to have the help of his fellow dragon slayer. "You didn't overestimate crap! I can take Laxus down all by myself! I had him right where I wanted him before you butted in and ruined everything!"

"Wow…" Mason blinked twice. "You ARE stubborn…" Before they could continue their argument the rubble on top of Laxus began to move and out from it emerged a massive shirtless Laxus at least twice the size of his previous form with scale like markings decorating his arms.

"HEY YOU! SNOWFLAKE!" Laxus roared. "PICK A DAMN SIDE WILL YA! **LIGHTNING DRAGON'S ROAR!** " A mouthful of lightning flew from his massive jaws as Mason created another barrier just in time.

"LAXUS IS A DRAGON SLAYER!" Natsu sounded totally stunned by this new development.

"Yeah, you didn't know?" Mason said, his eyebrow raised slightly. "Anyway that's not important you want take down Laxus yourself, that's fine." Mason's body erupted with magic power enough to send his hair spinking upwards and to cause his eyes to be taken over entirely by a powerful purple glow. "My Drive technique drains my power like crazy so I'm about to use everything I've got left to loosen him up for you and when my power runs out that's when you step in." Mason jumped into the air his hands glowing bright with magic power.

"HEY!' Natsu called back. "WHY DO YOU GET TO GO FIRST?!"

" **PHANTOM DRAGON'S CANNON!"** Mason put his hands together creating a massive energy blast aimed directly for Laxus.

" **LIGHTNING DRAGON'S ROAR!"** Laxus countered with a blast of his own and the two magic attacks created a massive explosion in the middle of the church shaking the old building.

When the clouds from the explosion faded Mason had vanished. He quickly appeared behind

Laxus, his fist charged with Magic energy. " **PHANTOM DRAGON'S VANISHING!"**

"I don't think so!" Laxus called out before he flexed his muscles and generating a massive wave of lightning that zapped Mason out of the air and onto the ground. "You think I'd fall for the same stupid trick twice!" Laxus moved so fast it was almost like he teleported, he quickly readied a powerful punch charged with lightning and began to slam it down into the Dragon Slayers face but before he could attack Mason phased through the ground below him causing Laxus to punch down and shatter the concrete.

Mason then appeared hovering above Laxus both hands charged with Magic energy. " **PHANTOM DRAGON'S SHOT! RAPID FIRE!"** Mason threw down dozens of energy blasts that collided with Laxus' massive back. BOOM! BOOOM! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!

"GRRRR!" Laxus growled as his back began to smoke from the damage. "I'M SICK OF YOU TRASH!" Laxus yelled as lightning rained down on top of Mason blasting him to the ground with Laxus who quickly scooped him up by the shirt in one hand. "I'M GONNA FRY THAT DAMN PRETTY BOY FACE OF YOURS!" Laxus threatened but before he could do anything Mason phased through his giant hand and in the same movement phased his arm into Laxus stomach.

Laxus looked down in terror but before he could make another move Mason made his arm tangible for a split second before pulling his arm back out. It was brief but Mason's attack was like a sucker punch to Laxus' internal organs, sending him reeling back in pain.

"GAAAHHAAAHH! You little bastard! You could've killed me!" Laxus quickly grabbed Mason's arm. "Let's see how you like it!" Before Mason could phase through Laxus' lock, the Lightning mage sent volts of electricity shooting into Mason's arm.

"AAHHHHAAAAHHH!" Mason cried out but through the pain Mason managed to grab hold of Laxus' arm and started to grit his teeth as a large magic circle formed beneath the dueling wizards feet. " **DRAGON SLAYER'S SECRET ART! CURSED SOUL UNHOLY SWARM 10,000 PHANTOMS!"** Both Mason and Laxus' bodies were devoured in the swarming phantoms as the erupted through the roof of the church and into the air above Magnolia.

KAABOOOOMM! A large explosion erupted from Mason's attack knocking both Mason and Laxus into different areas of the church. "AAHHHH OOFF!" Mason called out as he bounced across the hard ground and landing behind Natsu. "Okay… That's it I'm out, it's your turn…"

"What do you mean my turn? There's no way he can still fight after all that." Natsu replied almost on cue as Laxus pushed a pile of rubble off of himself and stood up to continue the fight. "Crap…"

"Sorry bout that Natsu." Mason said through a groan. "I thought I did more damage than that but it looks like it's up to you. I just hope Erza and Mystogan have found a way to stop the thunder palace."

"HA HAHAHA!" Laxus bursted out laughing. "You mean that whole time you were stalling, well it's good to know that you weren't stupid enough to think you could actually beat me with those lame attacks, but it's a shame that you're gonna die in vain. Even those two aren't strong enough to stop my Thunder Palace without killing themselves in the process. It was good try but it's hard to win when your opponent holds all the cards! It was nice knowing you snowflake!" Laxus threw a bolt of lightning at the powerless Mason, too fast for Natsu to intercept. But just before making contact with its target it suddenly changed direction and struck a familiar looking iron rod.

"Well those guys have nothing to worry about." The Iron Dragon Slayer Gajeel Redfox appeared suddenly out of nowhere, grinning like a madman and being followed closely by the blue haired Levy McGarden. "They aren't gonna need to take down the Thunder Palace cause I'll kick your ass myself."

"Gajeel…" Natsu said not sounding too happy to see him.

"Hey I thought you were a member of Phantom Lord! What are you doing here?" Mason asked as he struggled to sit up.

"Hey you, ghost boy…" Gajeel glared down at Mason. "Can you fight?"

"..." Mason paused for a moment reluctant to answer. "... No I'm out of magic power.."

"Then get out of here before you get hurt.." Gajeel walked passed the injured wizard to face the foe at hand.

"Here." Levy said kindly before writing out the word ghost in the air, causing a cartoony sheet-like ghost to appear out of thin air. "I hope your powers work the same as Natsu's and Gajeel's." She said before chasing after Gajeel to confront Laxus.

"BOOOO! I'm going to haunt you forever!" The ghost threatened Mason who simply bit down on its ghostly tail. "NOOOOO!" The phantom cried out as Mason slurped it down his throat and climbed back to his feet.

"Thank you." Mason replied as he wiped his mouth. "I'm gonna go help Erza. Good luck guys." With that Mason took off out of the church.

* * *

(WIth Erza)

"I'll take the 200 to the north!" Erza cried out telepathically to the rest of her guildmates. She was equipped in her heaven's wheel armor and was levitating a massive swarm of swords with her telekinesis. "You can take the rest! We can do this I believe in you! Now go forth my swords!" With a wave of her arm her blades went flying. Each of them striking and shattering one of the lightning lacrima's floating above the city and in doing so she caused a massive amount of lightning magic to strike down on top of her.

"AHHHHAAAAHHHH!" Erza shrieked in pain as the lightning surged through her, but she managed to fight through this pain. She dropped to one knee before looking back up into the sky. "No way…. There are still some left…"

Indeed there were more than a dozen of the lightning lacrima's left floating above the city. "Damn it… I'm totally out of Magic power…."

"Well then it's a good thing I'm here right…" Mason smiled as he limped closer to his old friend, he was indeed in a better shape than Erza was at the moment but that wasn't saying much. His body was covered in scratches and burn marks and even after the aid given by Levy he was still rather low on Magic Power.

"No way…" Erza seeming to defy all logic managed somehow to stand. "Just give me a minute to regain my power. It could kill you in your state, let me do it."

"Hmmm, not happening. It could kill me but it WILL kill you." Mason put his hand on the girls shoulder and gently pushed her back down to rest. "I didn't crawl all the way back to life for you to go and kill yourself. If I'm gonna be part of this guild then I need to make sure you're here with me. I've already died enough for one week I'm not gonna do it again."

Mason stepped back to make sure he kept Erza out of range before summoning as much magic power as he could muster, causing his red eyes to flash purple once more. " **DRAGON SLAYER SECRET ART! CURSED SOUL! UNHOLY SWARM 10,000 PHANTOMS!"** Another swarm of purple ghosts flew from Mason's body into the sky above, groups of the purple phantoms swarmed around each of the floating lacrima's and one by one began to detonate.

BOOOM! BOOOM! BOOOOM! BOOM! BOOOM! BOOOOM! BOOOM! Eventually all of the lacrima's were taken out and from them massive bolts of lightning struck down on Mason leaving nothing but a black ashy mark on the mongolian streets like.

"No way…" Erza couldn't believer her eyes. "He's gone…. Again…" Before she could even let out a single tear Mason floated up from the ground below without a scratch on him. "Nevermind he's fine." Just as she said that Mason passed out onto the ground completely unconscious. "Nevermind…"

* * *

(end)


	15. Chapter 15

(Announcement!)

Hey guys! I'm excited to tell you that next week's chapter will come with a bonus Q and A. Where I will answer any question you may have about the story, any of the characters, relationships, backstories, magic powers or whatever. You can address questions to myself as the writer or any of the characters like Mason, Brosnan, or whoever you want.

I'll provide an example.

From Drake-

Q: Can i ask you a question ? About a couple .. Mason with who?

A: This is a tough one, at this point Mason is single but I think I've made it clear that Brosnan has feelings for the Phantom Dragon Slayer. Whether the feelings are mutual or not or if there are any future plans for this couple I can't say just yet. But there may also be some inklings to a relationship with Erza or maybe even Jellal. Nothing is set in stone from a relationship standpoint yet.

So please favorite, follow, and leave a review with any question you may have, thanks :)

Chapter 15

(Fairy Tail Guild infirmary)

"Ughhh…." Mason groaned as he slowly opened his eyes, before he sat up in the unfamiliar white bed sheets. "An infirmary?..." Mason looked around but when he moved his head it began to throb. "AAAHHHH!" Mason grabbed the side of his head, and in doing so discovered his forehead was bandaged on further examination most of his body was covered in bandages. "Guhhhggg… What's going on? My head is killing me…."

"Yesterday you took blows from Mystogan, Laxus, Erza and even Natsu.." A sweet voice answered back as Mirajane entered the infirmary carrying some medicine and a glass of water on a tray. "It's a miracle that your only complaining about a headache."

"That's nothing." Mason joked as he took the the tray of medicine from the smiling girl. "Last week I exploded, but its okay. I got better. So i've been unconscious for a whole day, I'm guessing Natsu took care of Laxus."

"Well actually it's only been 18 hours you completely depleted the magic in your body after destroying the remaining Lacrima's, the only thing your body can do to replenish that magic is to rest, and yes Natsu defeated Laxus with the help of Gajeel." Mirajane explained as Mason choked down his medicine. "It's too bad you slept through the Fantasia Parade but you should be good to walk now."

Mason slowly stood up from the bed. He was too sore to put his shirt on normally so his wristband changed shape once again this time to a hooded black jacket that fitted itself around Mason with the hood worn down. "Thanks for your help…" Mason turned and bowed thankfully to Mirajane.

"Don't mention it." Mirajane said with massive grin on her face. "Now go on, the master would like to see you."

"Uh...OK…" Mason answered slowly. "I'm not in trouble am I?"

* * *

(Later, in the main guild hall)

"OH-HO! GOOD TO SEE YOU MY BOY!" Master Makarov cried out with a drink raised in his hand. The old master sat on top of the guild halls main bar wearing a blue and yellow jesters hat.

"Yeah… Good to see you too." Mason smiled, amused at the antics of the drunken old man. "So I heard you wanted to see me?"

"Yes…" Makarov quickly went from an upbeat drunken smile to a stern and serious face. "Listen, I placed that guild mark on you in a time of great need for me and my guild. From what I heard you fought valiantly to protect my family and I greatly appreciate that. After yesterday's events I was forced to expel my grandson from the guild so it seems that fairy tail finds itself down a powerful Dragon Slayer so needless to say I'd like you to stay but I won't force you to."

"NO!" Erza, who had been quietly eavesdropping the entire time jumped out from behind a the bar and quickly got the attention of the rest of the guild hall. "Uhhhh…." She became flustered for a second before recovering her composure and rejoining her guild mates.

"Heheheh.." Mason chuckled softly before answering. "I'm not going anywhere so don't worry. I find myself discharged from roll as a Rune Knight, so before arriving here yesterday I was unemployed and at the very least being part of guild means work." Mason said with smile, before his eyes drifted over to Natsu who was covered in bandages. 'How do you do it Natsu? Not only Jellal but Laxus too, where do you get that power from?'

Natsu noticed Mason starring his way and for some reason this irritated him. "What are you looking at?" Natsu said with a vicious glare. "You lookin for a fight! We never did settle things from yesterday did we? Fine by me!" Natsu's hands suddenly burst into flames as he lept through the air.

"Seriously Natsu." Gray said with a roll of his eyes as his clothes seemed to have disappeared without a trace.

"C'mon Natsu!" Lucy spoke up trying to be the voice of reason. "Hasn't there been enough fighting already?" Lucy's words did little dissuade the Dragon slayer as he landed right in front of his foe.

" **Fire Dragon's Iron Fist!"** Natsu thrusted his fist forward at Mason's face but his blow simply passed through Mason as if he weren't even there. "Uh oh.." Natsu quickly realized his error.

"High spirited as always, huh?" Mason smiled as his fist began to glow purple "I think I'm going to like it here…"

WHAM!

* * *

(later)

"Hmmmm…." Mason scratched his chin as he perused the job board in the middle of the guild hall. "Party tricks, dog walking, house sitting, a date to the prom?" Mason's face went sour as he continued to look over the job selections. "You guild wizards really will do anything huh?"

"Us guild wizards you mean." Erza commented as she peered over the dragon slayers shoulder. "You're one of us now you know? Looking to take a job already?"

"Yeah. A dragon slayers gotta eat you know." Mason pulled a flyer off the board and smiled. "Ha! This one's perfect for me!" Mason showed of the flyer that read "Help! My house is haunted!" Mason's stomach growled as he licked his lips. "Looks like I get to kill two birds with one stone."

"Good for you." Erza said with a motherly smile as she studied the flyer. "Wow, the reward is pretty high. Mind if I tag along?"

"I don't mind, but I'm not sharing any of the ghosts." Mason said dismissively as he shoved the flyer in his pocket and continued to daydream about tasty phantoms.

"Erza's going on a job?" Gray's stood up to see what was going on, still absent of clothing.

"A spooky haunted house." Natsu made an exaggerated voice before he began to chuckle. "Sounds like a good time to me."

"Oh yeah, and I still need help paying my rent." Lucy joined in too and soon there was a crowd gathered around the job board. "What do you say Erza, Mason mind if we tag along."

"Hmmm. No I don't mind, but like I said don't expect me to share my dinner." Mason replied as he was already halfway out the door.

Mason was open to the idea of making this a team effort, but Erza on the other hand. "..." Didn't even need to say anything a simple glare was enough.

"Uh… Nevermind I need to work on my book!" Lucy quickly came up with an excuse as Natsu and Gray huddled together in fear.

"Well looks like its just the two of us." Erza turned to Mason sounding a bit more excited than earlier. "So where does our job take place?"

Mason fished the paper and took a look. "Cymbal Town. Oh, I've been there it's a little town a few miles south of Era. It shouldn't take us too long to get there."

"You're right if I remember correctly there's a station in Cymbal Town it shouldn't take us more than 3 hours to get there." Erza began to rush out the door when she grabbed Mason by the hand. "C'mon lets get going!"

"Wait station? Are we taking the train!?" Mason's face suddenly went pale as he was drug through city streets. "I think I changed my mind! I'm not hungry anymore! NOOO!"

* * *

(Later in Cymbal Town)

"Ughh…. I think I'm gonna be sick…" Mason looked completely green in the face as he and Erza walked down the streets of Cymbol town.

"Quit complaining." Erza elbowed Mason in the side and this nearly knocked him to the ground. "Look at this little town, it's absolutely adorable. Ooo look at this." Erza rushed over to the window of one of a clothing store and began to ogle the different outfits and dresses they had on display."Incredible… Look at all these cute clothes. I have to shop here." Erza began fogging up the glass with her breath.

"Hehehe…" Mason chuckled as he began to recover from his Motion sickness. "We can come back later but first we gotta finish this job." Mason smiled at the way his partner was acting.

"Really! You mean it!" Erza's eyes sparkled with excitement at the prospect of being able to shop.

"Of course. By then we'll have our reward, but first we have to find this house." Mason pulled a map out of his pocket and attempted to decipher it. "Mmmm… Did a dog draw this? If we're on main street then the house should be… Nope, that's not right…. Ughhhh…"

"Uh.. Mason…" Erza tapped the white haired boys shoulder getting him to look up from the map. "I think I found." She pointed to a massive old house sitting in a near empty lot with a dark and menacing aura looming over it.

"Yeah I think you're right…" The Fairy Tail wizards slowly made their way over to the ominous mansion, it was as if they had entered another dimension once they stepped on the property. All the grass was dead and brown and the sky was completely grey.

"The mayor of this town once to eliminate the spirit of a witch who owned this house but died in their less than a year ago. Her ghost has been haunting the building ever since and scarying away any potential buyers." Erza recalled the job parameters as they stood outside the front entrance to the home. "It'd be unprofessional to refuse this job but it seems wrong to destroy a spirit who just wants to protect her home."

"Don't feel too bad for any ghost." Mason looked ahead with cold eyes. "Ghosts are criminals but their crime is breaking the laws of the universe. As my father, Buruut would always say your either alive or your dead anything in between is unnatural. A ghost only exists when a wizard uses the magic power in their body at the time of death to keep their souls in this world. This could be for a variety of reasons be it that they have remaining requests are murdered or die prematurely or simply refuse to die when their time is called. Whatever it may be it's a crime against nature."

"Okay…." Erza looked kinda shocked by how serious Mason was acting. "You lead the way then."

Mason flipped up his hood concealing his face in shadow his blood red eyes the only thing shining through the darkness. "My pleasure." Mason slammed open the door, nearly shattering the old wood into splinters.

The two made there way inside the house. The inside of mansion was in utter ruin the carpeting was ripped to shreds and the wall was decorated with shattered picture frames and rotten paintings. The two walked deeper into the house before they heard the CREAK! CREAK! Of an old rocking chair. "Geeetttt oouuuutttt….." An old woman's moan rang through the house.

Down a dark hallway appeared the shade like figure of a distorted old woman dressed in black holding a cup of tea and sitting in a rocking chair. "GET OUT!" The phantom screamed louder before she hurled the porcelain cup at the intruders.

The cup shattered on the way into sharp arrow like shards that nearly slammed into Erza's face but Mason stopped them just in time with his telekinesis. "See, this is why you shouldn't feel bad for ghosts they're a bunch of jerks. Now it's time to evict this old lady."

"I SAID OUT!" The ghost got up from her chair and began to fly at the intruders. Her hair began to fly out sparatically off of her head and her eyes flashed red.

"Step back." Mason pushed Erza back away slightly as the ghost rushed them.

The old spirit stopped right in front of the Dragon Slayer. "YYAAAAAHHHHGGGGG!" The ghost screeche right in Mason's face but he didn't even flinch. "Ehhhh?" The ghost looked confused as Mason red eyes stared back at her. The ghost began to shrink back away from the frightening boy, but it was too late. "Gah!" Mason grabbed the ghost by her wrinkle neck so that she could no longer escape.

"Unfortunately for you I haven't eaten all day, so I'm gonna make this quick. Enjoy the afterlife." Mason stuffed the ghost into the opening of his hood and it was quickly sucked up and disappeared into nothing leaving nothing but a small BELCH! "Oh. Excuse me."

"Well… That was fast." Erza just blinked slowly. She decided it would be better not to question things and just except what happened. "Lets go collect our reward."

* * *

(Later)

BELCH! "Ugh sorry, she's not sitting well with me at all." Mason apologized as he tried to fan away the smell.

"Okay, something is bothering me." Erza who looked uncomfortable with something finally spoke up. "So did you just eat that soul, like wipe it from existence? she's gone forever? That's pretty unsettling."

"Hmmm." Mason paused for a second as he analyzed the question. "No, thats not really how it works. When I consume a ghost or any soul like that my body cleans it of any lingering negative energy and magic power and lets the soul pass on to the after life I take the energy and magic power and add it to my own but the soul does help make it taste better."

"Oh…" Erza let out a sigh of relief. "That's good to hear. Now I'll be able to rest a little easier."

GRUMBLE! "Ugh speaking of things that taste good that old witches magic power wasn't nearly enough for me. I hate to be burden but do you mind if we stop to grab a bite real quick then we can do as much shopping as you want." Mason pleaded.

"Really!" Erza's face quickly brightened up. "Oh I can't wait!" She grabbed Mason and began to drag him once again. "C'mon! I saw the cutest little dessert shop over here! Oh and it's right across the street from that cute boutique from before! This is gonna be so much fun!"

"Wait a second I'm pretty sure we forgot something!" Mason tried to get the excited redhead to cool off, but it was as if she couldn't even here him. "Erza! Erza wait! Erza! What about our reward!"

"Huh?" She finally stopped in her tracks. "Oh yes, I completely forgot we still need to finish the job!"

* * *

(Even Later)

"Hmmmm Hmmm Hmmm Hmmm…" Erza hummed an upbeat melody as she carried nearly ten shopping bags full of newly purchased clothing along with her. She looked back at Mason who was following close behind her with a cool smile on his ace. She began to grin and a small rosey blush formed on her cheeks. 'Alright! I did it! We ate cakes went shopping and walked all around town together all alone! Almost like a date! Haha!'

"You know I seriously can't believe you spent the entirety of that massive reward in a single afternoon. Hehehe ya know you sure are something aren't you. We should do this again sometime I had a lot of fun today" Mason chuckled before he looked down at a the check written out for his reward and all the zeros attached to the end of it. 'Plus the monaney ain't bad either. First thing I'm doing when I get back to magnolia is hitting up the market. Fresh Fish, meat fruits and vegetables here I come.'

'Woah! Did he just ask me on a second date?' Erza's face went completely red and it was almost as if she was steaming. "S-Sure anything for you…"

"What was that?" Mason said, not quite catching Erza's answer.

"Ahem! I mean whenever is good with you! Heheheehhh." Erza's face went from embarassed to depressed in a matter of seconds, but she recovered almost just as quickly. "Alright! Lets hurry back to the guild I think the next train leaves in 20 minutes."

"Wait.." Mason called back in a voice so serious that it sent a shiver down Erza's back. "There's something important I need to ask you." Erza's heart started pounding in her chest before Mason took a deep bow in front of her. "Please! I beg you! Don't make me ride that train again! I'll do anything!"

"Haaaahhhhhhh…" Erza let out a depressed sigh, before anger began to take over. "GET ON THE TRAIN!"

"WHYYYHYYYY!" Mason cried back his face was already turning green.

* * *

(End)


	16. Chapter 16

Chapter 16

(8 Island's restaurant/ Hargeon)

 _The 8 Island's restaurant a relatively new establishment, but already regarded as one of Hargeon's finest. This is where we find a familiar group of Fairy Tail wizards on a rather peculiar job._

"C'mon, there must be something you want…" Erza who was dressed in a waitresses outfit spoke in a seductive tone as she leaned over onto the table. "So, what'll you have?"

"ONE OF EVERYTHING!" The flustered men screamed their order out for the entire restaurant to hear.

"Excellent." Erza jotted down quickly on a notepad before making her way to the next table over before beginning her seduction act over again. "So… I suppose you'll have the same thing right?"

"No actually." A familiar voice answered back stunning the redhead as Mason slowly handed here his menu. "I'll take two orders of today's special, the soup of the day and a house salad. That should be enough to get me started." Mason smirked as he ordered.

"M-M-M-Mason… What are you doing here?" Erza rushed to try to cover herself up, clearly flustered by her failed seduction tactic. "I thought you were on a solo job that sounded pretty urgent."

"He is." The voice of an older man answered back from the seat across from Mason. "I urgently needed to see an old friend." The chef's hat totting former council member with eyebrows long enough to cover his eyes Mr Yajima sat up and handed in his menu as well. "And I'll take a coffee please."

"Right away sir…" Erza stumbled away in a confused state to fill out the order leaving the two aquaintances to catch up.

"So pops it's been awhile hasn't it?" Mason pulled a deck of playing cards out of his pocket and began using his telekinesis to shuffle the cards in the air over the table. "Lets see how your skills have held up over time."

"Hmmm…." Mr Yajima groaned. "It's nice to see that after all these years not much has changed. You still never learn your lesson."

* * *

(Flashback/ Magic Council Headquarters Era)

"I win…" Mr Yajima announced as he laid his cards down on the table. "And that makes it three in a row." The old wizard smirked, his eyebrows still covering his eyes. "Are you ready to give up yet?"

"WHAT THE CRAP!" A young mason growled as he slammed his fists down shaking the table. "How'd you do that! You always beat me you're the only one I can't win against!"

"Now now… There's no shame in second place you should be proud of accomplishing that much." Mr Yajima tried to counsel the young wizard as he carefully and neatly stacked the playing cards.

"No way!" Mason spat back in defiance. "I won't stop until I'm number one, I'm never gonna settle for second place! Deal those cards out old man! We're playing again!"

"Heheh alright if you're that serious then we'll play one more time." Yajima smiled as he passed out the playing cards. "If you beat me then I'll cook you any meal you like."

"HAHA! Alright! There's no way I can lose with a meal on the line." Mason perked up and began to focus on his cards. "Crap! This hand sucks!"

* * *

(End of flashback)

"Ughh… What do you mean I lost!" The older mason slammed his fists down on the table like a child. "I want a rematch!"

"Haha.. Some things never change." Mr Yajima threw up a peace sign in victory.

"Ugh…" Mason groan as he slouched down in his booth seat. "So I have to ask. I've been in fairy tail for less then a month but do you know how things are back in the council I mean?"

"Well you should know that I relinquish my seat on the council pretty soon after you left, but unlike you I know to keep in touch with my old friends. Your old comrades are doing just fine and the custody enforcement unit is in full force protecting the law even as the council struggles to reform itself. Though one of your old friends is pretty upset with how distant you've been recently." The old man lifted his eyebrow to glare at Mason.

"Well you know, I've been so busy with work and all that. There really hasn't been time for me to go on a social visit." Mason began to ramble on with excuses all the while his face began to sweat as he rubbed the back of his head. "Anyway it's been good seeing you Mr Yajima but I better get should do this again sometime." Mason scrambled to his feet in an attempt to escape the conversation.

"Wait a second son." Mr Yajima stood up and faced Mason with a concerned look on his face. "There is something else… Before I left the council we got the results back from the search of remnants of the tower of heaven and we didn't find a body and considering you managed to survive the towers destruction it's safe to assume that he did as well…."

"No way…. He's alive ..." Mason stood stunned in the middle of the restaurant drawing some weird stares from the dining crowd.

"Jellal…" Erza who had been eavesdropping for most of the conversation muttered softly as she clung a bit tighter to her notepad.

"We don't know for sure but he's officially at large as opposed to deceased, or at least that's the stance Brosnan is taking and with the current state of the council she's calling the shots. I wanted you to hear it from me and I'm sorry." Mr Yajima bowed his head in disappointment.

"No… It's okay." Mason shook off his uneasy feelings, and his eyes became sharp with determination and rage. "In fact it's better he's alive… That way I'll be able to finally get some closure." The Dragon Slayer growled.

"Now I know that face, quit it. Thoughts like that won't get you anywhere revenge and closure two very different things." Yajima tried to talk some sense into the young man, but his blood was already boiling as he walked out of the packed restaurant, slamming the door behind him as he did so. "Oh, dear. That can't be good."

Meanwhile Mason stomped down the streets of Hargeon, his anger got the best of and triggered his telekinetic powers and made levitate small rocks and stones as he passed them. 'I swear if I ever see that monster again I put him down like the dog he is!' Mason clenched his fist causing all of the stones he was levitating to shatter into dust behind him.

* * *

(Days later, on a covered wagon)

"Ugghhhh…. I think I'm gonna be sick…" Natsu's face was almost totally green as the wagon bumped down the trail.

"Ya know sometimes I actually feel bad for the guy." Gray said looking down at Natsu with a pitiful smile before turning his attention to the hooded Mason. "You're a Dragon Slayer too right? You don't look very sick at all."

Mason turned around to face Gray, his face covered up by his hood. "Yeah…. I'm-I'm doing great…. Ughhhh….. Just need some air." Mason took off his hood revealing his face to be a similar green color to Natsu's.

"Guess I spoke too soon. Poor guys." Gray said with a smirk.

"Okay I have a question." Lucy spoke up from the back of the cart. "Erza is a S-Class wizard and a walking arsenal, Gray is nudist who could freeze an entire army if he wanted, Mason is an unseeable untouchable super soldier and Natsu is what happens if you throw a hundred pounds of dynamite into an active volcano. I can summon a perverted bull with a battle axe and a maid. Why am I here again?"

"You heard the Master." Erza sat with her arms crossed and her eyes closed. "We need all hands on deck if we're going to have a chance at beating the Oracion Seis. That's why this coalition between the other guilds was set up."

"According to the council archives before it was destroyed the Oracion Seis is currently the most active member of the Balam Alliance with 482 confirmed kills amongst the group. A single member can wipe out an entire squadron single handedly." Mason spoke up as he fought back the urge to vomit. "They've also destroyed a total of 3 official wizard guilds, the council itself eventually gave up on trying to arrest these guys they were so afraid of these monsters."

"Thanks… Now I wanna go home even more than before." Lucy said as she began shaking in fear.

"Sssshhh!" Erza who was now in complete serious mode shushed the complaining blonde. "Look we're here." Erza pointed to an old mansion surrounded by dark forest.

The cart pulled up to the mysterious old house and the five young wizards and flying cat unloaded and entered through the large double doors into a seemingly empty house. "Hello!" Lucy called out after whole team entered. "Is there anyone here?"

"Yes there is!" An unfamiliar male voice called out seemingly from nowhere. "C'mon boys, let's give them a warm Blue Pegasus hello! Welcome!"

"Welcome!" An invisible corus of two other guys called back in an echo.

"Fairy Tail!"

"Fairy Tail!"

"Wizards!" All three finished before a spot light illuminated a small part of the mansion revealing three good looking male wizards all dressed in formal suits. "We're so glad you came! We are the Blue Pegasus elite Trimens!"

"Hundred Knights Ibiki." The first wizard a tall man with good looking features introduced himself.

"Holy Knight Eve." Next up was a younger looking wizard with childlike features and golden blond hair.

"Still Knight Ren." A man with a darker skin tone and a more aggressive look to him finished the introductions.

"The Trimens from Blue pegasus, that's so cool." Lucy elaborated. "Hibiki Lates is always at the top of sorcerer weekly's most eligible bachelors list." Meanwhile Natsu and Gray were panicking and acting goofy in the background. "And those guys aren't on the list."

"I've heard tales of your beauty and there true!" The honey blonde Hibiki said with a snap of his fingers.

"It's a pleasure to meet you miss titania." The childish eve bowed behind Erza.

"Please come with us." Hibiki rushed to her other blind spot and with that the Trimen had her surrounded before quickly abandoning her to bring in a large couch with a heart on top of it.

"Would you like to freshen up?" Hibiki bowed and presented Erza with a moist towel before she took a seat on the couch.

"Or maybe you'd like something to eat?" Eve asked as he took a seat next to her.

"No thank you." Erza refused sternly.

"Oh but we have cake." Hibiki added.

"No I'm alright." Erza refused again.

"Okay, what's the deal here?" Lucy asked in a peeved tone, annoyed by the attention Erza was receiving over her.

"Please have a seat." Ren came seemingly out of nowhere to grab lucy by her side, getting her to jump. "Oh, wow you're almost too cute."

"No joke." Gray spoke up, his shirt seeming to have disappeared magically. "What is the deal with these losers?"

"Ughhh… I think I missed something. Who are these guys?" Natsu who was slowly recovering from motion sickness finally spoke up.

"Grrr." Mason growled, his hood back up covering his head. "I don't know who they are but they better shut up before they piss me off. That cart ride gave me a massive headache."

"It's a pleasure meeting a future ally." Erza greeted formally. "It'll be a pleasure working with you."

"My god!" Eve's eyes began to sparkle as he stared at Erza. "You're so beautiful it can't be real. Am I dreaming, I hope not because I've always admired you.." The Trimen continued their flirtatious efforts before a fourth stranger made himself.

"Calm down men." A voice like silk called out from atop the stairwell sending chills down Erza's spine. "Give these ladies some room. Erza, It's been too long!" A man short in stature dressed in all white with pointy orange hair and a chiseled face made himself known

"A long time yes… I never expected to see you here." Erza practically shaking as she acknowledged the strange looking man.

"My sweet honey, oh how I've missed you." The well spoken dwarf did an elaborate spin on top of the staircase. "But don't cry, I'm here. Oooohh" The strange man hopped on the railing and began to slide down as he was cheered on by the Trimen. "A surprise! A reunion! Oh yes! Oh yes! Oh yes!"

"We're sorry Mr Ichiya we didn't know she was your girlfriend!" The Trimen apologized for the previous flirting.

This was the last straw for Erza who finally broke. "YOU KNOW THAT IS NOT TRUE!"

"YOU IDIOTS! WE HAVE WORK TO DO!" In the face of rejection Ichiya turned on his disciples who quickly rushed to clean up their mess as their Master regained his composure. "It seems that destiny has brought us together Erza and Lucy not so much you three!"

"THAT'S IT!" Mason yelled as he threw off his hood in frustration. "My head is killing me! And all you guys have been doing is yelling and clapping! So now I'm gonna take out some of this aggression on you Purple Unicorn jerks!" Mason stomped towards Ichiya, his eyes an even angrier red than usual.

But before any conflict could ensue Ichiya began to fidget in his pocket. "A headache you say my violent friend? I have just the thing for that!" Ichiya pulled a small pink bottle out from his pocket and opened the cap. " **Alleviation PARFUM!"**

A faint pink aroma wafted up from Ichiya's bottle and invaded Mason's nose and his angered face was quickly soothed. "Woah… My headache is completely gone! That stuffs amazing do you think it could clear up motion sickness?"

"Of course it can!" Ichiya said proudly. "Here! You can have the rest of the bottle!" He tossed the small pink bottle into Mason's waiting hands.

"Man you're awesome!" Mason smiled as he pocketed the bottle. "I'm saving you for the ride home."

"Hey man you better share." Natsu who had finally recovered from his motion sickness said in an expecting tone.

"It's you…" Blue Pegasus' Eve Tearm approached Mason with sparkling eyes. "Commander!"

"Commander?" Mason looked down at excited young wizard, a confused look on his face. "Do I know you from somewhere?"

"What are you talking about. It's me Eve, Eve Tearm I served under you as a rune knight cadet. We used to eat together at the same table." Eve began to pout at the thought of being forgotten.

"Oh Eve, yeah of course I remember you. I just needed to be a hundred percent sure." Mason said, completely lying through his teeth. "But hey neither of us are Rune Knights anymore so you don't need to call me Commander anymore."

"Really? Then is it okay if I call you big brother?!" Eve asked with even more determination in his eyes than before.

"Uhh, I guess if it's alright with you…." Mason said with a fake smile plastered on his face as he began to sweat nervously.

"Hey guys this is no time to joke around." Gray being the last serious guy left called out. "We're on some serious business here."

"At last we agree on something Gray." The air in the building grew colder as man with spiky grey hair entered through the front door. "I demand you buffoons take things seriously. Lamia Scale deserves more respect."

"Lyon!" Gray clearly recognized this stranger began glaring daggers at him. "It's you!"

"Yes it's me." Lyon said with a smirk. "But I'm not alone!" As he said this a woman with long magenta hair entered the building.

"I can feel the love in the air." The unknown lady smiled at her own bad pun.

"Now way. Sherry!" Lucy called out as if this lady was somehow familiar.

"It's good to know that you fairies remember me so well." Sherry said with an almost evil grin on her face. "But I hope you don't remember who I was back then. The power of love has changed me! I am reborn!"

"Man I don't know any of these guys and am I the only one who feels a bit insulted being called a fairy. Maybe it's just because I'm new." Mason said feeling a bit awkward by the whole situation.

"Yeah me neither." Natsu added as he scratched his chin in confusion. "The grey haired guy is kinda familiar."

"Ugghhh! I need more of your PARFUM!" Ichiya said as he began to crowd Erza.

"Get back you little troll!" Erza growled back as she summoned a spear to her hand.

"C'mon Lyon let's fight!" Gray called out as he glared at the spiky haired mage.

"Fine by me." Lyon answered back in a calm voice as he glared back at the nudist Wizard.

"Grrrr… GIMME SOME OF THAT MAGIC MOTION SICKNESS MEDICINE!" Natsu barked at Mason.

"Hey we're on the same team we aren't supposed to be fighting!" Mason tried to talk down the pink haired pyro.

"Don't talk to big brother that way!" Eve barked back at Natsu coming to Mason's aid.

"ENOUGH!" A powerful voice called out with pouding of a staff. "We're supposed to do battle against the Oracion Seis. How do you expect us to achieve that goal if we're busy squabbling amongst ourselves." A Bald man with a strong jawline and brightly colored robes holding a long staff announced as he entered the room.

"Yes you're right." Lyon stepped away from Gray and lowered his head in respect. "My apologies Jura."

"JURA!" The entire room erupted in shock.

GULP! "Him I know!" Mason said aloud.

"Really?" Natsu asked scratching his head. "Who is he?"

"That is Iron Rock Jura. He's one of the ten Wizard Saints like Makarov and formerly Jose of Phantom Lord. Meaning he's one of the most powerful Wizards on the planet." Mason explained.

"Ha!" Sherry laughed aloud. "Blue Pegasus sent four members and Fairy Tail sent five. Lamia Scale only needed to send three."

"Again I'm forgotten." Happy said with a depressed sigh.

"The members of three of the guilds have arrived. All were missing is the representatives for the Cait Shelter guild." Jura deduced.

"That is correct." Ichiya called out from above as he currently found himself stuck to the end of Erza's spear. "On that note. Rumor has it they are only sending one member."

"One member!" Lucy cried out with a gasp. "Whoever they are sending. He must be pretty hardcore…."

As Lucy said this A small girl ran into the mansion before tripping on the rug and falling over. "WWAAHHH!" WHAM! "Ughh.." The young girl brushed herself off as she stood back up. "Sorry for being so late, I'm the wizard from Cait Shelter. My Name's Wendy, Wendy Marvell."

Everyone kinda stared at the poor girl for a few seconds before Mason whispered something to Natsu. "Hey, is it just me or is this kid familiar?"

Natsu stared for a bit longer before saying anything. "Wendy huh?..."

* * *

(end)


	17. Chapter 17

Chapter 17

"Only one member?!" Lucy cried out with a gasp. "Whoever they are sending. He must be pretty hardcore…."

As Lucy said this A small girl ran into the mansion before tripping on the rug and falling over. "WWAAHHH!" WHAM! "Ughh.." The young girl brushed herself off as she stood back up. "Sorry for being so late, I'm the wizard from Cait Shelter. My Name's Wendy, Wendy Marvell. It's nice to meet you"

"What?! She's just a little girl?!" Gray exclaimed and soon everyone began to whisper among themselves.

"Why should it matter if she's younger than us? If she can fight then we'll welcome her with open arms!" Erza exclaimed with as much determination as always.

"Hey Natsu." Mason whispered as he elbowed his fellow dragon slayer. "Is it just me or is this girl familiar to you?"

"Wendy huh?" Natsu said to himself not answering the question.

"Good, now that everyone is here we can begin." Jura refocused on the task at hand not giving the situation a second thought.

"That Cait Shelter guild must be desperate for members if they sent this little girl alone." Sherry said off handedly.

"She's not alone you gaudy trollop!" A prim and proper voice called back from outside as a white house cat entered through the still open door.

"Oh no! Not another talking cat!" Lucy cried out.

"ACHHOOO!" Mason shot out a nose full of snot as the new cat entered the room. "Crap.. I was getting used to Happy but this new cat is gonna kill my allergies."

"Woah! She's so pretty!" Happy, eyes turned into hearts as he leapt into the air in delight.

"Uh I don't know about fighting… But I can use all kinds of support magic." The little girl said nervously, her legs shaking as she struggled to speak. "I'm sorry, I know I'm probably not what you're expecting! But please don't send me home! It'd be so embarassing!"

The Trimen quickly swept Wendy up and began there flirtation routine, the whole while Natsu's eyes were locked on the little girl. "Hey. Is it just me or is that little girl familiar?"

"I literally just asked you the same thing." Mason deadpanned.

"Really?" Natsu quickly perked up. "You recognize her too? I swear I've heard her name before!" Natsu turned his attention back to the little girl who shot him an innocent smile. "Got anything?" Natsu looked back over at Mason who was busy mulling things over in his mind.

"MMM… I don't know. Maybe I arrested her or something..." Mason scratched his chin as he scanned his memory.

"Maybe I arrested her?" Natsu added with an equally puzzled look on his face.

"That could be it…" Mason muttered as he evaluated Natsu's claim.

"You two are idiots." Gray commented with a roll of his eyes.

"AHEM!" Ichiya faked a cough in order to draw the attention of the room. "Now that all the guilds are present we can discuss our plan of attack…. Right after I make a letter of the alphabet!" The short mage quickly scurried off to the bathroom but made a quick return. "Okay much better."

"What the hell…?" Mason mumbled to himself as he stared at the short ginger wizard with . "Something's not right about him…" Mason said making a concerned face.

"Your just now figuring that out?" Gray added with a smirk.

"Okay, now that I've cleared that issue we should get started on preparing for battle." Ichiya said as he made an over the top pose.

"Hold up!" Mason called out as he slowly walked up to Ichiya. "Let me ask you something real quick…."

"Uhhh….. Is there something I can help you with my good man?" Ichiya began to sweat as Mason started pressuring him.

Mason glared daggers at Ichiya refusing to take any pressure off of him. "There's something really off about you… Did you swallow a person or something?..."

"Uhhh…. What?..." Ichiya's jaw dropped and every just sat stunned by the bizarre question. "Uh…. No….."

"Oh well then that's unfortunate." Mason reeled back before he quickly slammed a glowing purple fist into Ichiya's face knocking him back across the room.

"Hey buddy!" Hibiki rushed to the defense of his master. "What's the big idea we're supposed to be allies here."

"How could you big brother." Eve cried out.

"Relax idiots." Mason said as he simply walked through Hibiki and Eve, literally, before he lifted the beaten Ichiya up by his head. "This may surprise you but normal people have one soul and when Ichiya left he was one of those normal one soul people, but when he came back he had two of them. Meaning this probably isn't your friend and he better start talking."

"Hmmm…. And you just expect us to believe you?" Hibiki asked back with sceptical frown.

"Yeah buddy we can't all see souls. I bet you're just jealous of the boss's good looks so you tried to damage his perfect face." Ren said bumping Mason and getting him to drop Ichiya.

"Ouch that hurt! Piri Piri!" Ichiya began to speak in a high pitched unrecognizable voice before his body began to glow before separating into floating twin creatures.

"Ouch, I'm gonna feel that one tomorrow…" The floating entity with a frowny face said as it gripped it's head.

"You can say that again…" The smiling twin replied grasping its head as well.

"Oh my! What are they?" Sherry cried out with a gasp as she clung to lyon.

"I have no idea…." Lyon replied not really adding much.

"Give the master back!" The Trimen cried out.

"You've done it now, Piri Piri." The twins said in harmony. "Now we have to resort to plan B. Bad news for you guys, this is where things get rough for you!" The blue twins zipped out through a window.

"Hey! They're getting away!" Erza called out gathering the troops. "After them!" She rushed to the open door but before she could make her escape a wall of sandy wind suddenly appeared blocking the exit. "What the!" The ground beneath them began to shake.

"Uh oh…" Mason groaned as he and Natsu quickly turned green as the house was lifted up into the air, slamming everyone inside onto the ground. Mason struggled as he reached into his pocket to pull out a small pink bottle which he popped open filling the room with a soothing scent that helped Mason and Natsu to recover.

"RRRAAAAAAHHHHHHGGGGG!" As soon as he felt well enough to move Natsu slammed a fist full of flames into the ground, destroying the floor.

"WHAAAAHHHHH!" The entire coalition screamed as they dropped from the sky onto the ground below. "OOFFF!"

Everyone slowly began to dust themselves off and recover as they realized they were alone in an unfamiliar part of the forest as master Bob's house was carried off by a spiraling sand storm before it was slammed into a mountain and destroyed.

"NO! MASTER!" The trimen cried out as they watched the shambles of Bob's mansion fall to the ground in the distance. "He never made it out of the bathroom…" They said with a sniffle.

"Man!" Ichiya emerged from the bushes in the forest and rejoined the others. "Fear not men, using my incredible survival skills I managed to escape that death trap before it was too late." He posed with his fingers over his eyes.

"BOSS!" The trimen jumped on Ichiya tackling him to the ground as the wizard trio sobbed there eyes out.

"Okay so what now." Lyon said with his typical cold stare as he reevaluate the situation. "We're lost in the middle of the forest with no idea where the enemy could be or what we're up against."

"I can help with that." Mason said as he pulled a notebook from his dark black cloak. "According to the information I… Borrowed…. From the council archive the Oracion Seis has been stealing information and artifacts related to a legendary dark magic called Nirvana. The legends say that Nirvana is located here in this forest so we know what there after and I also have information on each of the members but you can read it for yourself." Mason tossed the notebook into the air where lucy caught it.

"Cobra…. Poison Magic 63 confirmed kills." Lucy shook as she read the details from Mason's classified notebook. "Angel…. A Celestial Wizard! 77 confirmed kills! Guy's I don't know about this…"

Mason's nose picked up on something as he turned to his right. "I'm picking up on some major negative energy in that direction! So it's either the Oracion Seis or Nirvana, but either way it's where we wanna go…" Mason declared as he took off, following his nose.

"Are you sure it's where we wanna go.." Lucy said with a sob, still shaking in fear as the rest of the wizards followed Mason.

"I'm not sure!" Wendy shrieked.

"Come now child. We can't be left behind and embarrass our guild." Carla grabs Wendy by the arm and began to drag her off after the rest of the group.

"HEY! Don't leave me alone here!" Lucy cried out as she chased after the others.

Mason, Erza, Natsu, Gray, Lyon and Sherry held lead the group. "So during your time serving the council did you ever encounter any of these monsters." Lyon asked Mason as the two wizards ran side by side.

"Personally, no. The sad truth is that while I was serving the council had gotten to the point where they simply ignored the actions of the Oracion Seis. They were scared to lose anymore men." Mason said in a grim tone. "So all I have to go off of is horror stories."

"That's awful…" Sherry gasped. "Where is the love?"

"I can't believe the cowardice!" Lyon declared in a spiteful voice. "I can't believe those idiots would have the gall to tell us official guilds how to do business when they neglect their job to take down one dark guild."

"I have to admit that I was never a big fan of the politics, but I don't know that I disagree with the council's decision on this topic. I know people who were assigned on missions to deal with the Oracion Seis or I guess it's more accurate to say I knew them, and just in case I was being too subtle to you I knew them because they're dead now because the Oracion Seis killed them." Mason grew silent as he his mind was flooded with memories of dark times as the group approached a plateau.

" **Yes!"** A strange raspy voice flooded Mason's ears. " **Thank of dark times! Give into your negative thoughts! Let me in!"**

"What was that?!" Mason stopped in his tracks and looked around to see no one that he didn't recognize. "Who said that!?"

"Um… I just said that I was sorry for you." Sherry said taking a few steps frightened by Mason's reaction.

"Oh. never mind. I'm sorry." Mason said grasping his head, but then a rush of air flew past his head. "What the?" Mason looked up to see a massive mechanical flying horse hover over his head.

"You're looking at Blue Pegasus' pride and joy as well as our secret weapon. Christina! The Magic Bomber!" Hibiki announced with a confident smile.

"I'll admit that is an impressive piece of magical machinery." Mason looked up at the floating weapon and began to smile feeling a bit better about their chances.

"You bet, with christina on our side we should have no problem dealing with the oracion seis. No matter how powerful they might be they are still just six humans." Just as Hibiki finished speaking KABOOM! A massive explosion erupted on Christina's side and smoke began to pour from it as the machine crashed into the earth resulting in another KABOOM!

"No way…." Lucy looked on in disbelief at the fire and smoke and rubble burning on the ground that the mighty Christina had been reduced to.

"I'm not likin what I'm smellin." Natsu announced as he stared at the pillar of smoke.

"Keep cool everybody we've got company." Gray called back, picking up on what Natsu was saying.

"There here." Mason's nose confirmed as six silhouettes appeared in the smoke.

"I suppose I should expect insects to swarm together." A white haired man carrying a staff with a skull on top of it emerged from the smoke followed by five other wizards. According to Mason's information this was guilds leader known as Brain.

"Hey white haired boy!" A beautiful woman dressed in fur with short white hair called out to Mason. The Seis' deadly beauty Angel. "I hear you're the brute who raised his fist to my spirits. You'll pay for that!"

"Yeah that's him! It really hurt!" The two twins said in rhythm as they floated over Angel's shoulders.

"I'd like to see you try and make me!" As combat seemed to be imminent, Mason's more fiery battle personality took over as he charged his fist's with magic power.

"Look at you acting tough, but I can hear your fear. You should all be afraid." The sharp tongued poison mage Cobra called out, he had spikey maroon hair and a long white coat and a large purple snake coiled around him.

"He's right you should be scared, if you aren't on your toes then I'll run you over before you even know what hit you." The fast talking sharp nosed racer was the next to hurl insults. "Now lets teach the guys a lesson."

"I have a lesson for you." A robed wizard with an angular face called out. This was the money savvy mercenary Hoteye. "The importance of MONEY! Saving a penny a day can amass you a fortune in the future."

"HAAAAAHHHH! SHOOOO!" Rounding out the six was Midnight a young wizard with black and white hair sat sleeping on top of a flying magic carpet.

"Hehe…. You guys waiting for an invitation or what?" Cobra taunted.

"You guys showin up is all the invitation I need!" Natsu and Gray charged forward into combat, but before they could make it very far Racer intercepted with a spin kick. "AAAHHHHGGG!"

" **PHANTOM DRAGON'S ROAR!"** Mason spat a mouthful of Magic Phantom's at the venomous wizard Cobra.

"Please. Can you be any louder." Cobra lept effortlessly out of the range. "Cubellios sick em!"

The massive purple snake struck at Mason with it's mouth open, but the beast simply passed right through the Dragon Slayer. "Oh, nice try hope that's not all you got. Erik." Mason said with a satisfied smile.

"What the! How do you know that name!" Cobra hissed.

"Don't tell you forgot me?" Mason continued with a smile. "I guess after all these years it would make sense you'd forget but let me give you a refresher."

* * *

(Flashback! The tower of heaven!)

"Hey! Give her back!" A young Cobra cried out as one of the tower guards ripped a small purple snake from his hand and stuffed it into a bag. "No please! She's my friend!"

"Friend ha! What kinda loser keeps some dumb little snake for a friend!" The guard taunts as he throws the bag over his shoulder. "Anyway this thing is dangerous it tried to bite me. I'm gonna throw it into the ocean and you're lucky I don't do the same to you, ya freak!"

"No please!" Cobra tried begging again, but it was too late the guard just ignored him and walked away. "No!" Cobra dropped to his knees and started sobbing into his hand before a voice called back to him.

"Pssst! Hey!" The Maroon haired boy looked up to see a kid with white hair similar in age to him standing above him holding his fist out to him, before he opened his hand to reveal his small purple friend alive and well. "Here ya go."

The white haired boy looked back and forth to make sure the coast was clear as Cobra stood up and dried his eyes before being reunited with his friend. "Thank you… But how did you get her back?"

"I just reached into the bag and grabbed her." The white haired boy shrugged.

"How?..." Cobra asked with a confused look on his face. The boy demonstrated by phasing his arm into a nearby rock. "Is that magic?!"

"Yep, but not very much of it. If I had all my magic then we wouldn't even be here, I could kick all these guard's butts if I was at full strength. Then I could go find my dad." The white haired wizard said as he made a determined fist, but then he snapped out of his own head. "Oh my bad, I was talking to myself out loud. My name is Mason by the way."

"E-Erik. It's nice to meet you." The two boys shook hands, before Erik spoke something he had on his mind. "So is magic really that powerful?"

"Oh yeah, magic is the best." Mason said with a confident smile. "My dad would always tell me if you work hard enough and make your Magic strong enough then you could have the power to grant any wish you want."

Erik's eyes sparkled after hearing Mason's words. "Any wish I want?..."

* * *

(End of Flashback)

"I recognized your smell almost immediately, but your soul is so dark and murky I was having doubts. After seeing that snake I realized that unfortunately after all these years you became a monster." Mason said with a serious glare.

"So it is you… Now I remember…" Erik looked down at his hands as he evaluated his thoughts. " I guess I'll have to thank you for saving Cubellios but I hate to tell you this but the weakling Erik who needed help from losers is gone! Now it's Cobra! But if it makes you feel any better I'm practicing what you preached to me all those years ago using my magic to achieve my goals and dreams!" Cobra summoned clouds of poison to his hands before charging at Mason. "HHHAAAAAHHHH!" Cobra punched forward but his fist just went right through Mason. "What the!?"

"That's too bad, looks like you can't touch me, but now that you remember that conversation we had all those years ago, I think it's time I showed you my full power that I was telling you about." Mason cracked his knuckles. " **Phantom Drive!"** Mason's body charged with Magic energy as he reeled back and struck Cobra in the face, knocking him back.

"Ahhhggg…" Cobra rubbed the bruised area on his cheek where Mason had hit him. "I may not be able to hit you, but you still have to breathe!" Cobra's arms became covered in purple scales as he held up two scaly fingers to his mouth. " **POISON DRAGON'S ROAR!"** A cloud of red poison flew from Cobra's mouth and completely covered Mason's body.

Slowly the cloud disappeared to reveal Mason standing completely fine, protected by an energy dome. "Wait! Did you say Dragon's Roar? Are you a Dragon Slayer?!" Mason asked in a wide eyed stare.

"Grrr! So you can protect yourself huh! But can you protect her!" Cobra spotted Wendy out of the corner of his eye and aimed two fingers at her. " **POISON DRAGON'S ROAR!"** Another toxic cloud flew from Cobra's mouth aimed at the young wizard.

"No wendy!" Mason turned to the girl and quickly raised his hand. " **PHANTOM DRAGON'S SHIELD!"** A wall of magic energy formed in front of Wendy protecting her from the deadly cloud.

" **POISON DRAGON'S ROAR!"** Cobra spat one last mouthful of poison and this one landed on Mason's unprotected back.

"ACK! ACK!" One breath of the toxic could was all it took as Mason began coughing his lungs out as his body was flooded with Venom.

"Angel! Now!" Cobra cried out to his comrade.

"Thanks for the opening! I told you I'd make you pay! **CAELUM!** " Angel waved a silver key with her hand as a mounted cannon appeared in a flash of light. "FIRE!"

"Wha?..." The weakened Mason turned to see a large energy blasted headed straight for him and the poison made it so Mason couldn't evade the attack. KABOOOMM! Mason was blasted head on by an insane amount of magic power knocking him to the ground and rendering him unconscious.

* * *

(Blackout…)


	18. Chapter 18

(Author's notes)

Hi, for any of you who read the 100 year quest manga may have noticed the appearance of the Ghost Dragon Slayer Wraith in the latest chapter and if y'all are wondering what I think about it, I think it frickin rocks. You may find it hard to believe but i think a Ghost Dragon Slayer is a really good idea (plus he looks like he might have white hair so Hiro Mashima if you're reading this I love you and you're welcome) I just hope he's not a generic villain character but even if he is I'm still happy that its canon and his introduction doesn't mean I'm stopping this story I just thought I'd share my opinion.

Now please Read, RATE! And REVIEEEEWWWWW!

Thanks ;)

Chapter 18

"Grrr! So you can protect yourself huh! But can you protect her!" Cobra spotted Wendy out of the corner of his eye and aimed two fingers at her. " **POISON DRAGON'S ROAR!"** Another toxic cloud flew from Cobra's mouth aimed at the young wizard.

"No wendy!" Mason turned to the girl and quickly raised his hand. " **PHANTOM DRAGON'S SHIELD!"** A wall of magic energy formed in front of Wendy protecting her from the deadly cloud.

" **POISON DRAGON'S ROAR!"** Cobra spat one last mouthful of poison and this one landed on Mason's unprotected back.

"ACK! ACK!" One breath of the toxic could was all it took as Mason began coughing his lungs out as his body was flooded with Venom.

"Angel! Now!" Cobra cried out to his comrade.

"Thanks for the opening! I told you I'd make you pay! **CAELUM!** " Angel waved a silver key with her hand as a mounted cannon appeared in a flash of light. "FIRE!"

"Wha?..." The weakened Mason turned to see a large energy blasted headed straight for him and the poison made it so Mason couldn't evade the attack. KABOOOMM! Mason was blasted head on by an insane amount of magic power knocking him to the ground. "Gahhh." Mason groaned as he tried to pick himself back up. He looked back up at Cobra but his eyelids grew increasingly heavy due to the effects of the poison, before he blacked out for a moment.

"WENDY!" Happy and the girl cat shrieked, waking the unconscious Mason as a menacing green hand scooped up the young lady.

"Wha?! What's going on?!" Mason said in a weak groan as happy chased after wendy with a stick.

"It's not fair to strike us while we're down!" Natsu shrieked as he struggled to move.

"All's fair when it comes to money! Oh Yeah!" The blocky headed Hoteye declared as he waved his hand and whipped up the ground around us, knocking the whole team away and rendering the entire alliance pretty much defeated and in no place to retaliate.

'I have no use for the rest of you!' Brain announced as he readied his staff. ' **DARK RANDO!** ' He unleashed a barrage of green magic bullets at the fallen coalition but before it could vaporize the group a wall of stone erupted from the ground, protecting the group as Jurah ran out to save the day.

"You're the best wizard ever!" The cheerful Eve declared.

"I'll second that!" Hibiki added.

"Ughh….." Mason groaned as he struggled to push himself up, still under the influence of Cobra's poison but only for the next second before the poison seemed to magically subsided. Mason looked down at his fist which suddenly began glowing purple. "Huh?" Suddenly out of nowhere Mason's eyes darted towards the thick forest nearby and he wasn't able to look away.

' **This Way….'**

"THE HELL!" Mason jumped as a mysterious, raspy voice invaded the dragon slayer's mind. "Who said that!?" Mason scanned the area, seeing no one he didn't recognize.

"… Nobody said anything…" Grey answered with a suspicious look.

"Did that beating you took knock a couple screws loose?" Lyon followed up with a similar look to grey. Mason ignored the two ice mages as he stared out into the dark forest in front of him before he slowly began walking towards the tree line.

"Hey snap out of it!" Lucy called out noticing the strange way her comrade was acting, but she was also ignored as Mason slipped away between the trees.

"HEY!" Natsu called out before sprinting into the forest after Mason, but when he looked around the trees he saw nothing. It was as if Mason had vanished from sight. "Where'd you go?"

* * *

(Later with Mason)

Mason had converted his long cloak into a wristband to help him better maneuver the dense forest. 'Something is definitely off about this place.' Mason monologued. 'There's so much negative energy here, like the forest is cursed or something which is more common than you'd actually think. The weird thing is how I seem to be sucking up the negative energy like some kind of evil sponge. Normally consuming power non stop would make me sick but there is definitely something weird going on….' Mason pointed his hand into the air and a massive blast of purple energy erupted from it. "Not that I really mind." Mason finished his thought aloud as he looked down at his smoking hand.

' **This way…..'** The mysterious voice called once more prompting Mason to continue deeper into the forest.

"Who the hell are you!" Mason called out into the forest but received no answer. 'Am I losing it? It's gotta have something to do with this Nirvana crap right? I probably should have stayed and regrouped with the coalition but if I can find Nirvana before the Oracion Seis can then I'll be in a better position to finish the job. Besides, I've always worked better as a solo agent…"

' **Closer… This Way…..'** The strange whispers continued not getting any louder or more coherent, but regardless Mason trekked deeper through the trees.

After a few more minutes Mason stopped and leaned himself against a tree to rest a bit before he took a look around before he realized something. "It looks the same as before!" He roared. "Ugh I am crazy! I've been wandering this forest for almost an hour following a creepy voice in my head and it's all based off a hunch! What the hell am I thinking?!" Mason kicked the tree he was standing next to and stubbed his toe. "GAAAHHHH!... Calm down Mason!" The dragon slayer announced before taking a deep breath. "Calm down… You're a Dragon Slayer…. Use your dragon senses…" Mason sat down and closed his eyes.

'Natsu is so intuned with his senses it's like he's not even human. I need to be like Natsu and empty my mind…..' Mason took a deep breath with and using his ears and his nose he scanned the forest.

' **HERE! THIS WAY!'** The mysterious voice erupted into a scream in Mason's mind, at the same time his nose began to twitch.

"Woah!" Mason jumped up off the ground. "I've never smelled anything so evil, its gotta be Nirvana! I found it!" Mason celebrated his accomplishment before a strange orange object flew over his head and planted itself into the bark of a nearby tree. "What the?" Mason looked up to see a glowing orange knife stuck in the bark.

"Good for you…" A familiar voice called out from woods causing Mason's eyes to pop open. "Too bad you won't live to see it." KABOOM The knife combusted into a massive explosion that sent Mason flying into another tree with enough force to knock it over.

"Ughhh…." Mason grabbed his forehead as he let out a pained groan before looking up to see percival emerging from the tree line. "What the hell are you doing here?"

Percival pulled another knife out from his coat as he walked closer to Mason. "Well kid, I'm an assassin so it's safe to assume I was hired to kill some people. In this case I'm getting paid to make sure punks like you don't get in the Oracion Seis' way.' Percival's knife began to glow orange before he threw it.

"Woah!" Mason leapt into the air, dodging the knife before KABOOM! Another explosion erupted behind him. Percival threw knife after knife keeping Mason at bay. BOO! BOOM! BOOM!

Percival grabbed three knives in his fingers and let them all fly at once, but Mason saw this coming and inhaled a mouthful of air. " **PHANTOM DRAGON ROAR!"** A spiral of phantom's exploded from his mouth catching the knives in the vortex and sending them back at Percival who ducked out of the way but it wouldn't matter. KABOOM! The large explosion knocked Percival to the ground.

Seeing the opening Mason leapt forward. " **PHANTOM DRAGON STRIKE!"** His face began to glow purple as he prepared to land with a kick before Percival rolled out of the way causing Mason's glowing foot to hit the ground, creating a crater in the forest floor and sending a cloud of dust into the air that Percival used to escape.

Mason scanned the forest, no sign of his old ally. "Grrr…. This didn't go very well for you last time we fought! You surrender now and I'll let you walk away!"

"Like hell I'm letting a punk like you cheat me out of two paycheck!" Percival called out from the forest.

Mason's ears picked up the sound of Percival's voice and he turned to a particular part of the forest. "Gotcha!" Mason put his hands together creating a sphere of purple energy. " **PHANTOM DRAGON'S CANNON!"** A massive blast of magic energy burned a hole through the forest but there was no sign of Percival. "Huh?"

"Don't tell me you fell for that?" Percival taunted as a glowing grey knife landed at Mason's feet, creating a large smokescreen that blinded Mason's eyes as well as his nose.

WHAM! Using the smoke as cover Percival elbowed Mason in the nose hard in the nose. "AAAHHH!" Mason stumbled back in pain, still unable to see. Percival tripped the impaired Dragon Slayer, making him fall to the ground before he dove his leg into Mason's side kicking him away. "AAAHHHH! UGH!" Mason fell to the ground with a thud.

"Grrrrr!" Mason growled as he pushed himself up off the ground. "That's it…. No more playing nice." Mason gritted his teeth before his red eyes flashed purple and his hair began to stand on end. " **PHANTOM DRIVE!"** Mason announced as his body became consumed by a vibrant purple aura for a split second before it suddenly stopped. "Huh?" Mason clenched his teeth and tightened his muscles but this resulted in nothing but a few purple sparks. "That's not supposed to happen…"

"Heh." Percival smirked as he drew another knife from his cloak which began glowing a vicious, angry red. He then threw said knife and nailed the confused Mason in the shoulder.

"AAHH!" Mason winced at the impact of the blade but the brief pain he experienced was nothing compared to what he experienced when the pain magic took effect. "AAAHHHAAAAHHHAA!" Mason screamed as red magic surged through his body, it took as much strength as he could muster to reach up and pull the knife from his shoulder ending the pain. 'Crap, I forgot how strong he is. I only beat him in the past by using power from the tower of heaven. This forest has plenty of negative energy but it's nothing compared to the tower's and I can't even use my Drive spell for some reason. I can't over power him the way things are and when it comes to outsmarting him, he is more experienced than I am and he's already familiar with my abilities but on the bright side I already know all about his techniques..'

"Ya wanna know something boy?" Percival called back. "I'll be honest, you kicked my ass back in that tower. I realized that if a punk like you can beat me up, that's bad for business so I decided I needed to have a few more tricks up my sleeve." Percival held his hand out in front of him and white light began to materialize in the shape of a dagger in front of him. "Not only can I channel magic power into knives and swords, now I can make em too." He declared as he flung the magic blade at Mason who ducked his head out of the way letting it land behind him. "And I can still make em blow up." Percival said with a snap of his fingers, BOOM. A massive white explosion to go off behind the Dragon Slayer that sent him flying.

'Crap….' Mason thought as he soared through the air before landing hard on the dirt floor. " **PHANTOM DRAGON SHOT!"** Mason lifted his hand and fired a large energy blast.

"HAAAHH!" Percival created a large white sword out of light and used it to slice through Mason's attack before going on the offensive himself. He jumped for Mason with a swing of his sword but Mason was quick to throw up a magic shield. Percival adjusted mid swing, stabbing the magic barrier and leaving the blade of light embedded in Mason's shield before flipping away. KABOOM! The sword exploded point blank in front of Mason causing him to take the brunt of the explosion.

"GAAHH!" Mason grunted as he caught himself on the ground and regained his footing before taking a deep breath. " **PHANTOM DRAGON ROAR!"** A swirling vortex of phantoms leapt from his mouth.

"Heh, don't you know boy? Ghost's don't like light." Percival smirked before throwing another white dagger into the mouth of the vortex. BOOM! A bright light exploded in the middle of the vortex causing the ghosts to disappear.

"Ughhh…." Mason groaned audibly. "Can things get any worse."

* * *

(Meanwhile, with Wendy)

Wendy and happy found themselves trapped in a dark candle-lit cave guarded by Racer and the leader of the Oracion Seis, Brain himself.

"Jellal…." Wendy muttered as she stared at what appeared to be an open casket that held a chained up, unconscious Jellal. His body was covered in strange blue markings and he didn't appear to be breathing.

"Jellal?" Happy echoed. "That guy is bad news! What's he doing here?!"

"Do you know him two?" The timid dragon slayer asked the blue cat.

"I wouldn't say we're friends or anything." The snarky cat replied. "He tried to kill me and Erza and a whole lot of other people. He got the Magic Council to fire the Etherion Cannon!"

"I know that, but…." Wendy Mubbled.

"But Jellal's supposed to ancient history!" Happy yelled at Brain.

"Yes he is." Brain answered in a calculating voice. "A foolish Idealist, a shell of the man he once was haunted by a restless spirit, but also a man who you owe a great deal to." Brain said as he turned his gaze to Wendy.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Happy said also turning his attention to the young girl.

"This is your chance to repay him!" Brain declared with an evil grin. "You have the chance to revive him, only you can do it."

"Don't do it…" Happy warned the young girl, but wendy remained silent.

"So you refuse?" Brain asked as he pulled out a knife and pointed it at Jellal's face.

"No please stop!" Wendy cried out keeping Brain from stabbing him, instead he caused an explosion on the girls feet that knocked her down.

"Revive him! Only you can!" Brain reiterated.

"No you can't!" Happy cried out trying to act as some sort of conscience for the young wizard. "They wanna use him to steal Nirvana."

"But I must repay him.." Wendy said as she began to tear up. "He was so kind to me. If it wasn't for him I wouldn't be here…. I heard all those stories but I know they can't be true."

"But they are Wendy!" Happy yelled, still trying to talk her down.

"No way! He's not the type of person who would do such a thing!" Wendy cried back.

"But he did…." Happy muttered back, but Wendy wasn't listening to him.

"Please just give me some time to think about it!" Wendy begged her capture.

"Hmmm… Alright, you have five minutes." Brain declared in a firm voice indicating that this was as lenient as he would be to the young girl.

* * *

(with Mason)

" **VANISHING FIST!"** Mason appeared from thin air to Percival's side with a punch ready but the veteran mage grabbed Mason by the wrist.

"You're kidding right?" Percival tossed Mason into the air and sent him flying into a nearby tree.

WHAAMMM! "AAHHGG!" Mason hit the wood hard enough to force him to spit up a mouthful of saliva. 'Ugh.. I'm getting nowhere here! I need more power.' Mason opened his mouth and began to inhale. Purple energy began pooling from the ground and the trees into Mason's mouth. His eyes began to glow and his aura flared. The ground beneath him began to shatter under the weight of the magic energy. 'This may be too much power. My body is so heavy, I don't know that I can move. Not that I need to!' " **DRAGON SLAYER SACRED ART!"** Mason lifted his hands into the air above his head, creating a massive energy ball. " **CURSED SOUL! UNHOLY SHOWER!"** Mason let the energy ball flying into the sky above until it was too high up to see.

"Uh, I think you missed.." Percival taunted as he pulled another light dagger out of the air. "Well kid I wish I could say you put up a good fight, but I'm no liar." Percival reeled back to throw before BAM! KABOOM! A purple energy blast about the size of a volleyball slammed into Percival's chest and exploded sending the old man flying.

BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! Blast after blast flew into Percival like they were trained on him. The barrage of blasts brought Percival to his knees and had him painting.

"HAAAH…" Mason sighed as his body released the magic he had stored, letting him move easier. "HAHA! How you like that old man?!" Mason taunted before SHINK! He looked down to find a dagger made of light embedded in his abdomen. KABOOM! The dagger exploded knocking Mason back into a tree. SHINK! Percival sent another dagger flying that stabbed Mason through the hand pinning to the tree. "AAHHAA!" Mason winced as the light burned his flesh. He reached up to pull out the dagger, but before he could SHINK! Another dagger flew through the air pinning Mason's other hand to the tree bark.

"Did you actually expect me to go down in one hit did you? If so then you deserve worse then I'm about to do to you. And trust me what I'm gonna do is gonna hurt." Percival taunted as he flipped one of his knives in the air before catching it in his palm. "Any last words punk?"

"GAAHHH!" Mason struggled but he couldn't free himself. 'Damn it! This hurts like hell! I can't think on that though. C'mon Mason clear your mind and focus! You gotta get out of this!' Mason tried focusing, but before he could clear his mind his knows picked up a familiar scent that almost forced him into shock. "No! No way! It can't be!"

'There's only one soul on this planet so disgustingly tainted with sin and evil that I could smell it through this evil forest. Mystogen smelled similar but their souls were completely different, there was no mistaking it this time.' "JELLAL!" Mason roared, forgetting about everything else that was going on.

"Did you snap or something?" Percival through up a confused eyebrow. "Oh well, I guess it doesn't matter now does it?" Percival asked as he charged the knife with the scarlet pain magic.

'DAMN IT! I figured he was still alive, but I never expected to face him so soon! I need to get out of here! So I can find Jellal! So I can make him pay!' All of Mason's thoughts were focused on Jellal so he wasn't paying attention when Percival plunged his dagger into Mason's side, pumping his body full of pain magic. "AAAHHHGGGG! DAMN IT!"

"GAAAHHHAHAAHH! I can't deal with this crap right now! I need to get out of here! I need to find JELLAL! So I can DESTROY HIM!" Mason roared as the pain and desperation really started to mess with his mind.

"Hah! You really are losing it! Guess it's time to put you out of your misery!" Percival taunted as he pulled out another knife and charged it with more pain magic before plunging it into Mason's other side.

"GAAAAAAHHHHHAAAHAHH!" Mason roared in pain once more. 'Damn it! This is pissing me off! I HATE THIS!' Mason struggled once more and the tree he was pinned to began to shake. "I Hate this!"

" What the?" Percival's eyes widened as Mason continued shaking the tree as streams of magic power began pouring into him from around the forest. "Crap! No more playing around, this one's going into your heart!" Percival pulled out another knife and began driving it forward. "So long kid! Enjoy the afterlife!"

"I **HATE** THIS!" Mason screamed before his body exploded in a flash of purple light that knocked Percival onto his back.

"Ugh, what the hell was that?" Percival groaned as he rubbed his head with his hand, before he looked up and his eyes widened in shock. WHOOSH! CRASH! The tree Mason had been chained to, soared through the air before crashing down a few meters behind Percival. "Wh-What the hell are you!" Percival asked as a dark shadow was cast over his face before it was illuminated by a faint purple glow.

BROOOSHH! A massive purple energy dome exploded in the forest that could be scene above the trees and for miles around before it disappeared leaving nothing but a crater with an unconscious Percival lying at the bottom.

* * *

(End)


	19. Chapter 185

(Authors notes!)

Hey sorry this chapter is a little shorter than normal but I wanted to make it part of my last chapter but I didn't want to delay it any longer also I didn't want it to drag on, but nevertheless I hope you enjoy this half chapter.

As always Read, Rate and Review :)

Chapter 18.5

"GAAAAAAHHHHHAAAHAHH!" Mason roared in pain once more. 'Damn it! This is pissing me off! I HATE THIS!' Mason struggled once more and the tree he was pinned to began to shake. "I Hate this!"

" What the?" Percival's eyes widened as Mason continued shaking the tree as streams of magic power began pouring into him from around the forest. "Crap! No more playing around, this one's going into your heart!" Percival pulled out another knife and began driving it forward. "So long kid! Enjoy the afterlife!"

"I **HATE** THIS!" Mason screamed before his body exploded in a flash of purple light that knocked Percival onto his back.

"Ugh, what the hell was that?" Percival groaned as he rubbed his head with his hand, before he looked up and his eyes widened in shock. WHOOSH! CRASH! The tree Mason had been chained to, soared through the air before crashing down a few meters behind Percival. "Wh-What the hell are you!" Percival asked as a dark shadow was cast over his face before it was illuminated by a faint purple glow.

BROOOSHH! A massive purple energy dome exploded in the forest that could be scene above the trees and for miles around before it disappeared leaving nothing but a crater with a shocked Percival lying at the bottom covered in bruises, scratches and burn marks. "M-M-M-Monster….."

* * *

(Later, with Cobra)

'I followed Jellal to a cave deep in the forest and I think he's found it. Nirvana, but it seems he's lost his memory. Titania is here too so I need to be careful to make sure they don't realize I'm here.' Cobra thought as he watched an altercation between Erza and Jellal unfold in front of massive pillar of white light when his ears began to twitch at the sound of leaves crunching from outside the cave. 'Someone's coming. I can't have Titania receive reinforcements from the wizard saint, the Dragon Slayers or the Ice Mages who took down Racer, I need to stop whoever it is.'

Cobra exited the cave to face the intruder. "Hey, I can hear you! Might as well come out in face me!" Erik called out into the shadowy forest, as two red light peered back at him.

RUSTLE! RUSTLE! Mason pushed through the bush and into the small clearing, but he looked different. Dark grey scales covered his hands and forearms but began thinning as they traveled up his arms, his face too more specifically his cheeks from his chin to his eyes were covered in dark grey scales. "Outta my way Erik, he's in there… I can feel him.." Mason's eyes narrowed as he spoke in a vicious tone.

"Dude what's up with your skin, you really need to moisturize." Cobra joked. "If you're after Jellal then just wait till Brain gets here, wants he gets what he wants you and Jellal can kill each other for all I care."

"I WON'T wait!" Mason growled. "Last chance Erik, get out of the way or I'll stomp you into dust."

"Wow, listen to that temper. You don't normally come across as the type of guy to make violent threats, but that sounded genuine. You must really hate that guy." Erik smirked. " Unfortunately I can't let you get past me and I don't plan on being dust. Cubellios!" Cobra called out and the massive magenta viper bursted from the tree line, its fangs pointed at Mason.

Mason simply looked over and glared at the pouncing snake and making it hesitate before Mason vanished from sight. " **VANISHING FIST!"** Mason appeared to the side of Cubellios and drove his fist into the snakes jaw knocking it into the forest, before disappearing again.

"NO CUBELLIOS!" Cobra cried out as his beloved pet went flying deep into the forest before Mason appeared directly in front of him "What the hell! I couldn't even hear him move!"

" **PHANTOM DRAGON VANISHING FIST!"** Mason drove his fist deep into Cobra's stomach before the blows impact knocked Cobra into the large rock behind him.

"AAHHH!" Cobra cried out in pain as he fell off the rock, landing on his knees. "What the hell happened to you? You were nowhere near this strong before!"

"You're a Dragon Slayer too right? So you outta know what this power is. It's proof that my anger is justified, my fury has gifted me the power to destroy Jellal and all my enemies!" Mason declared with gusto. "This is the pinnacle of Dragon Slayer Magic, the legendary Dragon Force!" A small energy ball appeared in Mason's palm. "Now for your final warning! Get outta my way!" Mason opened his hand and let fly a barrage of energy blasts that pelted Cobra.

"AAAHH!" Cobra cried out as he tried to shield himself with his arm but there were too many energy pellets to block. "Grrr! I've never heard of a Dragon Force, but I don't care how legendary your power is supposed to be! You won't get in our way!" Cobra placed his fingers in front of his mouth and inhaled. " **POISON DRAGON ROAR!"** A mouthful of venomous magic flew from cobra's mouth at Mason.

Mason vanished once more before Cobra's attack could land. He appeared again to Erik's left with a raised hand. "Then when you get to hell, tell'em I'm not done yet" Mason growled as his palm began to glow. " **PHANTOM DRAGON SHOT!"** The energy ball formed in Mason's hand but before he could fire it point blank he quickly moved his hand out of the way letting his attack go harmlessly into the sky. "What the hell am I doing?" Mason asked himself as his dark grey scales disappeared from his skin. "I'm not so dedicated to my own revenge that I would take another life just to get it, am I?"

"Hah! You Idiot, now that you don't have you're magic scales you don't stand a HUH!" Mason interrupted Cobra with a knee to the stomach.

"Alright, now that I've calmed down a bit time to have a…. Chat with my old friend." Mason said as he entered the mouth of the cave. "Woah, the negative energy in here makes the forest feel like a church. It's like evil is seeping through the walls." Mason demonstrated by placing his hand on the stoney wall and causing purple magic sparks to go off around his hand. "Crazy…"

"JELLAL!" A familiar voice echoed through the cave.

"Erza?" Mason immediately recognized his friends voice and took off through the cave, following her voice. "Woah…." He entered a large open room and at the center was a massive pillar of white light that was decorated by a complex magic rune, but he couldn't find his comrade. "Erza, where are you?!"

"Mason?" Erza called back, but Mason still couldn't locate her. "We're down here!" Erza cried out and Mason finally saw her hand holding onto the ledge of a cliff so he ran up and grabbed it.

"Gotcha." Mason pulled Erza up onto stable ground then, even if begrudgingly so, he helped Jellal to his feet as well.

"Thank you." Jellal said as he collected himself.

"Shut up!" SMACK! Mason slapped Jellal across the cave floor. "Give me one reason why I shouldn't kill you! After all you've done! After all I let you do!" Mason walked over and grabbed Jellal by the shirt and lifted him into the air. "After all the crap you've pulled, all the lives you've ruined!"

"Mason stop! He's lost his memory!" Erza called out. "He doesn't know about the tower."

"Really?" Mason looked into Jellal's eyes and saw the fear and vulnerability that was absent in the old Jellal. "Do you know who I am?"

"No…" Jellal muttered. "All I remember is the name Erza, everything else is blank.." Mason could tell he wasn't lying.

"Damn it!" Mason tossed the blue haired boy to the ground. "This whole thing is pissing me off." Mason mumbled to himself before turning back to Jellal. "Ignorance of your crimes doesn't excuse them, but it's not my place to be your judge. Trust me that will come in time, but we have more pressing matters at hand." Mason turned his attention to the white light. "Nirvana…. How do we stop it?"

"You don't!" Brain called out from behind Mason and the others, he followed by a revived Cobra marched forwards. "Even a destruction charm like this is nothing." Brain waved his arm and the rune disintegrated. "Now did I hear correctly that Jellal lost his memory?" Brain didn't receive an answer but he pieced things together himself. "Well then I have no use for him anymore." Brain pointed his staff at the blue haired boy and fired a blast of green magic.

"Get down!" Mason called out as he pushed Jellal out of the way and took the attack himself. BAM! "WAAHH!" The blast knocked Mason into the air and sent him flying into the pillar of light.

"MASON!" Erza cried out as her friend disappeared into the waves of magic.

* * *

(With Mason)

"Uhhhh…" Mason rubbed his head as he regained consciousness, he opened his eyes to find himself sitting in a completely white boy. "Wow…. Am I dead." Mason stood up and pinched his elbow. "Ow, I don't think being dead works that way." Mason looked around the white as a humanoid shadow appear behind him.

"Are you serious?..." A familiar voice called out in a disappointed tone shocking Mason, causing him to jump and turn around.

"No way…" His eyes went wide. "Simon?" A pale blue Simon came into view, he wasn't wearing his helmet so you could clearly make out the disdain in his face.

"After all he's done, all the countless lives he ruined! Not only do you take a bullet for that monster, but you've left him out there in the world with Erza!" Simon roared. "I knew you liked bad jokes and had trouble taking things seriously but I always had faith that when push came to shove you could do what was right, looks like that faith was misplaced."

"Wait a second, are you Simon? Actually asking me to kill a man? Cause that sure as hell doesn't sound like Simon." Mason argued back.

"Well excuse me if being murdered has changed my tune!" Simon cried back with a wave of his fist. "I didn't want to die in that tower! I wanted to see the world, start a family! I loved Erza! But because of that Demon you pulled from the edge of a cliff I will never get to see her again!... But I'm not the only one who's disappointed in you." Simon took a step back and hundreds of faded blue people appeared in his stead. Men and women alike ranging from children to the elderly.

"Who are these people?" Mason said as the ghosts started to circle him.

"These are just a few of the souls lost to Jellal's fury!" Simon's voice echoed throughout the void. "Be it heroes who rose to oppose him, sacrifices to his tower, or just victims of his blood lust! You were never the brightest, but this arithmetic should be simple even for the likes of you. What are hundreds of innocent souls compared to a single rotten one? Do you still think that scum deserves to live another second on this earth!"

The souls began to swirl around Mason, at speeds fast enough to whip up a whirlwind. "It's not my place to take his life, he should face justice! Besides he's lost his memory, he'd ignorant to his crimes!" Mason cried as he looked around for Simon's ghost.

"Justice? What justice?!" Simon's voice continued. "You'll have him sit in a prison cell until he chooses to escape, meanwhile his victims continue to sit in their graves unavenged for eternity! What about our justice! Even if it's true that he doesn't remember the atrocities he's committed! His amnesia doesn't bring me any closer to seeing Erza again! You've always been soft on him! You and Erza! Blind to the monster right in front of you, always hopeful that the leopard changes his spots! He was my friend back all those years ago too! But unlike you and Erza I stayed in the tower and watched every ounce of humanity slip away from him! I saw him become what he is, the person you refuse to believe exists!" Simon appeared again less than an inch from Mason's face. "If you hadn't hesitated in the tower! If you had done what was right then, I would still be alive! The Etherion would never have been fired! The council would still exist! All of that is because you failed to act! Rather than believing a psychopath can redeem himself, you should think of your own redemption!"

Mason paused a moment, he was speechless. He thought about how he hesitated in the tower of heaven and what had transpired because of it and tears began to well up in his eyes. "Oh god…" Mason dropped to his knees. "What can I do?… How do I make things right?..."

"There's only one thing you can do, you must destroy him. Destroy Jellal!' Simon said with a boom in his voice.

"Destroy Jella! Destroy Jellal!" The swirling crowd of ghosts chanted as Simon joined the spiral. "Destroy Jellal! Destroy Jellal! Destroy Jellal!" The swarm converged to form massive one ball of white that began funneling itself into a Mason's mouth.

Mason's body erupted with a powerful white aura, as the skin of his hands transformed once more into dark grey scales that continued up his arms and the sides of his face, but this transformation was different from before as bones erupted from his back like skeletal bat wings but each one about seven feet in length from the tip to the base. "AAHHH!" Mason roared as his transformation finished before everything went white.

* * *

(Later)

Mason sat up and he was out of the white void, and was sitting on the ground in what appeared to be the middle of a ruined city. "Where am I?" Mason asked as he pushed himself off the ground, but when he stood up fully his face went green. "We're moving?" Mason fished into his pocket where he pulled out Ichiya's parfum jar and took a whiff of the soothing smells. "That's better."

Mason looked down at his scaly hands, before lifting one up and clenching his fist. Mason created a ball of magic energy but rather than it being purple it was white with black sparks. "This power…" Mason muttered before his pupils shrank and a darkness came over them. He pointed his hand at one of the ruined houses and with a single blast of the white magic he obliterated the entire building. "With this power, I should have no trouble completing my mission. I'll use this magic to destroy Jellal and anyone who gets in my way!"

* * *

(End)


	20. Chapter 19

Chapter 19

"Uh!" The Oracion Seis' Midnight groaned as he traversed the ruined city, leaping from a rooftop down to the street below. "So this is the legendary city of Nirvana, even I must admit I'm impressed, so this is the power that turned hoteye into a bleeding heart." Midnight continued down the dark road until he saw what appeared to be the silhouette of a person. "Ha.. My new prey is here…. HEY!" Midnight called out to get the stranger's attention.

The shadowy figure turned around and two piercing red eyes glared back and an intense pressure fell over Midnight before he quickly jumped behind a wall of rubble out of instict. "What was that?..." Midnight mumbled as his heart went crazy in his chest, slowly he peaked over the crumbling wall to see that whatever it was had disappeared. "Is my mind playing tricks on me?" Said with a hint of relief on his tongue, before a scaly hand reached out from behind him and grabbed his shoulder and turned him around.

"Wh-Wh-What are you?" Midnight stuttered as a menacing red glow appeared on his face, two red dots reflected in his eyes. "No… Please! NO! NOOO!"

* * *

(Elsewhere)

Vroom! An armored Magic Mobile zoomed across the forest floor, the magic council symbol embedded on the side of the vehicle. Inside the cabin sat a familiar group of wizards. Julia Moores, Head Captain of the 5th Custody Enforcement Unit, Tyson Hammer Head Captain of the 2nd Custody Enforcement Unit, and Brosnan - Head Captain of the 1st Custody Enforcement Unit.

"Hey do you guys really believe this crap about a walking city?" Julia asked in a relaxed almost bored tone as she sat by herself in the back seat of the Magic Mobile. "Cause that sounds kinda badass…" Tyson was too focused on driving to answer and the Brosnan tried her best to ignore the spunky blonde.

"Hey…" Julia who wasn't about to be ignored stuck her head up to the front seat so that she could look her comrades in the eyes as she spoke. "So Fairy Tail is a part of that little guild coalition thing right? You think HE is gonna be there?" Julia smirked as she looked over at Brosnan. "He's gotta be one of the stronger wizards in that so it'd make sense they'd send him." Julia continued trying to egg Brosnan on but the brunette simply continued to ignore her. "Though I guess it's just as likely those Oracion Seis freaks killed him."

"Shut up!" Brosnan commanded as she summoned her armor around her right arm and used the fist of magic steel to bonk Julia on the head.

"Sorry boss…." Julia said with a sob as a knot formed on top of her head.

"We aren't here to have fun or make jokes! We're supposed to aid the coalition of light guilds in apprehending the Oracion Seis, as well as bring an end to Nirvana. But I guess if you're making me answer your question.." Brosnan started to blush as her arm reverted to normal. "Yes, I do think we'll run into him on this job. Still something about this forest is giving me chills, I'm not expecting a very happy reunion." Brosnan declared as she cracked her knuckles.

"Ahem!" Tyson interrupted with a forced cough. "Looks like we're here." The massive man pointed out as the shadow of the walking city came into view.

* * *

(On Nirvana, Erza and Jellal)

"GAAAHHH!" Erza groaned as she pulled herself and jellal up onto the moving city.

"Hah hah thank you… Erza…." Jellal muttered between breaths as he recovered from their climb.

"Uh yeah… don't mention it! Ahem!" Erza's face went red as she fumbled over her words but the seasoned wizard was able to regain her composure. "We better get moving if were going to find the rest of my guild and put a stop to this thing." Erza immediately began to walk in an attempt to distance herself from the former dark mage. 'This is crazy. It feels like only a few weeks ago that Jellal was trying to make a sacrifice of me for his R-System and just a minute ago he was willing to give his own life for the greater good and stop Nirvana. He claims to suffer from amnesia and if that's true, then does that mean he's returned to the way he was before, back when we first met.' The two walked silently for a few moments before being interrupted by the sound of rapid footsteps coming their way followed by a frightened shriek.

"WAAAAHHHH! RUN! GET OUT OF THE WAY!" Midnight screamed as he he tried to run past the two mages, but he didn't get far before Erza grabbed him by the shoulder.

"Hey you're a member of the Oracion Seis, where do you think your going." Erza turned the black and white haired boy around to get a better look at him. "What the?.." When she did she saw his eyes had been overtaken by a faint red glow.

"A MONSTER!" Midnight cried out. "Some kind of demon cloaked in shadows with these vicious red eyes and wings of bone. I tried to fight back but I couldn't even touch him…. We have to get out of here!" Midnight struggled ferociously to free himself but when he finally got free from Erza his face immediately went pale and he dropped to his knees. "It's too late. He's here."

"A monster? What do you…. GET DOWN!" Erza demanded as she pushed Jellal and midnight down to the ground and immediately above them two large boulders both clouded in white magic smashed into each other. "A sneak attack." Erza determined as the stoney rubble fell harmlessly around them.

"Damn it Erza you got in the way…." Mason's disembodied voice called out before a massive blast of white magic appeared out of nowhere.

"WAAAHH!' Erza cried out as she barely managed to dodge the surprise attack and yet somehow managed to land on her feet before she readied her voice. "Come out and show yourself already. I recognize your voice Mason."

Without a moment of hesitation Mason appeared out of thin air in front of Erza startling the girl. The dragon slayer wore his cloak so that his body was completely concealed and his hood hid a majority of his face, only his crimson red eyes managed to escape from the darkness. "You got me."

"What are you thinking attacking us out of nowhere, we don't have time to be messing around." Erza attempted to scold the dragon slayer but then suddenly all of her sense screamed at her that something was wrong at the same time a crooked smile formed across Mason's face. "This magic… It's so intense, it's nothing like the way you were before. What happened to you…"

"This…" Mason teased with a maliciously playful tongue. "Why don't I show you." With that Mason's body erupted with magic power, blowing off his dark cloak and revealing the grey scales that decorated his arms and face.

The revelation stunned Erza and gave Midnight the opprotunity. "This is…" Visions of Natsu atop the tower of heaven flashed in Erza's mind as Mason turned down the surge of magic power.

"It's called Dragon Force, the pinnacle of Dragon Slayer Magic. I was given this power with the purpose of obtaining justice." Mason declared as his eyes fell to Jellal. "Erza this is your one warning, leave now or suffer the consequences."

"Justice? Consequences? What are you talking about." Erza followed Mason's eyes and realized immediately what he meant. "No!" The red headed wizard lept between Mason and Jellal. "This isn't justice, he doesn't have his memories. He doesn't know his crimes. If you want justice then help us stop Nirvana and the Oracion Seis. We need to stop this thing before it reaches the Cait Shelter guild!"

"Don't worry about the Oracion Seis I'll deal with them soon enough. Trust me this won't take long." Mason said with a waive of his hand that cloaked Erza's body in magic and sent her flying away.

"ERZA! OOOHHHGHH!" Jellal began to cry out but soon found a fist planted in his stomach.

"Trust me…." Mason growled as he leaned in next to Jellal's face. "The only person you should be worrying about right now is yourself." The Dragon slayer then planted a magically charged boot in Jellal's abdomen before sending him crashing into a crumbling stone wall.

Jellal sat up after his crash and retaliated with a blast of golden magic that Mason intern punched out of the air. "What? Don't tell me you forgot how to use your magic. I'll be honest that kinda pisses me off. I know, why don't I teach you some of mine." Mason lifted Jellal up by the collar and pulled him close to his face. "This is one of my favorite spells. **PHANTOM DRAGON!** " Mason opened up his mouth and Jellal was close enough to see a faint white light forming in the back of his throat. " **RO** -"

Mason didn't finish as he was interrupted by a silver sword flying towards his arm forcing him to separate himself from Jellal. He looked up to see Erza standing on top of a ruined building equipped with her Heaven's Wheel armor. "That's enough! Nirvana has poisoned your mind, you're not thinking clearly!"

" **PHANTOM DRAGON ROAR!"** Mason unleashed the mouthful of magic hed been holding in at Erza who barely managed to leap out of the. The building she stood on wasn't so lucky as the entire structure was obliterated. "I disagree.." Mason replied as a puff of smoke escaped his mouth. "I've never been more sure of what needs to be done, my heads never been clearer." With that Mason disappeared and reappeared a moment later behind Erza, his fist glowing with magic power. "Unlike you, I'm not letting my feelings cloud my judgement." Mason taunted, giving Erza an opening to turn and throw up a block which the Dragon slayer simply punched through, sending his guild mate flying across the moving city.

"This time, I'll do what has to be done." Mason then turned his eyes to where Jellal had stood previously to find another ball of magic energy headed his way, but once again he simply punched the surprise attack into oblivion. "Hah! You almost had OOOFFFF!" While Mason was dealing with Jellal's magic diversion the blue haired mage took this opening and his body now cloaked in golden magic he flew up and tackled Mason from his rooftop perch and like a torpedo of magic energy he pushed Mason through walls and pillars of stone until he finally released him.

"Stop this at once." Jellal demanded as he hovered above the dragon slayer. "I'm trying to stop nirvana and the Oracion Seis, same as you. We should deal with the problem at hand and then you we can deal with whatever feud you seem to have against me. If you truly seek justice then theres no reason to dragon all of these innocent people into it."

"DON'T TALK TO ME ABOUT JUSTICE!" Mason roared as he threw a massive energy blast at Jellal who simply flew out of the way and let the attack go sailing into the night sky. "If you knew anything about justice then you wouldn't resist letting me do what I have too. What about the hundreds you slaughtered building your tower? What about Simon? Where is there justice?!"

"I don't know anything about a tower and I have no clue who Simon is and right now it doesn't matter!" Jellal tried to talk the guild wizard down but his words only seemed to further infuriate him.

"HOW DARE YOU!" In his fury a dome of white magic crackling with black sparks erupted from Mason's body.

"Arrgh!" Jellal flew upwards to escape the blast. When the dome faded he looked down to find a smoking crater was left in his place. "Where did he-AAAHHHGGG!" Jellal roared in pain as Mason, now flying through the sky with the aid of his skeletal wings, planted a foot in his back.

" **PHANTOM DRAGON STRIKE!"** Mason's foot began to glow as he pushed it deeper into his foe before he cracked it across Jellal's back with enough magical force to create a shock wave that would've sent Jellal down to the stoney floor of the walking city if he hadn't caught himself in His golden Heavenly Body Magic. "That's it.." Mason growled as he watched his foe rise back into the sky with him. "No more messing around." With that Mason spread his boney wing wide and his fists began to glow white. "Time to finish things."

* * *

(Elsewhere)

The Armored Magic Mobile stopped a few meters away from the moving city and the rune knights inside spilled out.

"Hey, why'd we stop? Nirvana is still getting away." Julia blurted out the obvious.

"That's exactly why, Nirvana is still moving. We'll never catch up with it in the tank. It's time to board." Brosnan declared pointing her massive sword at the spider-like weapon.

"Great idea! How do you suppose we do that, commander?" Julia `spat back with her usual sass.

"Allow me." The usually quiet 2nd in command stepped up. "Grab on." He declared placing the girls both on his ridiculously oversized shoulder. "Hold on! **EXPLOSION MAGIC! CRIMSON ROCKET!** " The giant man's hand erupted with blood red explosions that like rocket thrusters blasted him and his two passengers up into the air and towards their walkingn target.

* * *

(With Erza)

"Ugh…." The red headed wizard groaned as she managed to pry her eyes open, doing so she found herself lying alone on a dirt road staring up at the sky as streaks of Gold and White decorated the night air. "Jellal!" Erza immediately shot up as she continued to watch the battle underwage above her. From where she stood it was like watching two stars smashing into each other, only one was bigger, faster and appeared to be hitting a lot harder and the smaller golden star began to flicker and fade before it began to fall. "JELLAL! **REQUIPPED!** " Erza commanded and in a flash of light her armor had changed and was now resembling a cheetah in design and just like a cheetah she began sprinting at super speeds across the ruined city streets in an attempt to catch the falling mage and just before impact she manage to reach Jellal and stop his decent but the moment sent them both crashing to the dirt with the blue haired mage landing on top of the barely clothed Erza in an embarrassing position.

"Erza? Erza are you alright?…" Jellal asked immediately, not seeming to realize the way his body was positioned on top of hers.

"Uhhhh…. AAAAHHHH! GET OFF!" Erza being more self conscious pushed Jellal off immediately before she realized there were more pressing matters. "I'm fine." She answered as she pushed herself up off the ground before offering Jellal a hand up. "What about you? Why did you suddenly drop like that."

Jellal took the hand and was quickly brought to his feet as well. "It was my mistake. I had done well with a sneak attack earlier. I never should have tried to match him one on one. I had to put every ounce of my strength into just keeping up with him. It doesn't make sense. It's not like he's been holding back, every attack he's thrown at us so far as been packing an incredible amount of power but he didn't even appear to be winded up there, after he released enough magic power to destroy a small village. Its like he has an endless supply of magic power."

"Endless magic power…." Erza took a moment to ponder this. "That may not be too far off. When Natsu entered his Dragon Force he eventually burned through all his amped up magic and returned to normal. Mason and Natsu are both Dragon Slayers and that means that they can consume their respective elements to replenish there magic. In Natsu's case that would mean consuming fire but for Mason he consumes evil and negative energies to reload on magic. With magic as dark as this, Nirvana must be oozing with those negative energies I bet that's why he's able to expel such powerful magic. It may also explain why Mason's magic has changed in color; he's absorbing power directly from Nirvana, to beat him we'll need to sever that connection."

"That makes sense." Jellal agreed. "But how would we go about….. RUN!" Jellal blurted out immediately sensing something was wrong, but it was too late as the two wizards were immediately consumed by a massive energy blast from above that was powerful enough to blast through the entirety of nirvana and scorch the forest beneath them. The blast did not obliterate the two wizards much to Mason's displeasure as Jellal's quick work allowed him to catch Erza and one hand and the newly created hole's ledge in the other, but Mason wasn't about to allow this to deter him from finishing the job.

"You see Erza. This is why I told you to get out of my way while you had the chance. Now the two of you will meet the same fat." Mason said as he landed in front of Jellal's hand and placed his boot a top it, getting the enemy wizard to scream. "Let it be known that I didn't want this to happen, I really shouldn't have to kill two of my oldest friends today but justice WILL be served." Mason pressed down harder on Jellal's hand and he could feel the fingers beginning to slip. "To Simon and all the lost souls consumed by the tower of heaven rejoice, you'll be able to rest soon."

But as Mason was busy already declaring his victory he did not notice a massive blast of golden light as it collided with his side and sent him flying into a nearby building.

"Fear not criminal!" A powerful voice called down to Jellal as a massive hand reached down to lift him and Erza back up to solid ground. "The New Magic Counsel has sent an elite group of warriors to aid you in this crisis. I promise once we deal with Nirvana we will bring you to justice the proper way, you have my word." Tyson said as he dusted Jellal and Erza off.

"Yeah don't worry the good guys are here." Julia said as she sat herself on top of a large stone. "So you guys can just sit back and watch."

BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! Massive foot steps shook nirvana as a large suit of armor came walking down one of the crumbling roads and from it spoke a booming voice. "We'll take it from here!"


	21. Chapter 21

Chapter 20

"You see Erza. This is why I told you to get out of my way while you had the chance. Now the two of you will meet the same fat." Mason said as he landed in front of Jellal's hand and placed his boot a top it, getting the enemy wizard to scream. "Let it be known that I didn't want this to happen, I really shouldn't have to kill two of my oldest friends today but justice WILL be served." Mason pressed down harder on Jellal's hand and he could feel the fingers beginning to slip. "To Simon and all the lost souls consumed by the tower of heaven rejoice, you'll be able to rest soon."

But as Mason was busy already declaring his victory he did not notice a massive blast of golden light as it collided with his side and sent him flying into a nearby building.

"Fear not criminal!" A powerful voice called down to Jellal as a massive hand reached down to lift him and Erza back up to solid ground. "The New Magic Counsel has sent an elite group of warriors to aid you in this crisis. I promise once we deal with Nirvana we will bring you to justice the proper way, you have my word." Tyson said as he dusted Jellal and Erza off.

"Yeah don't worry the good guys are here." Julia said as she sat herself on top of a large stone. "So you guys can just sit back and watch."

BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! Massive foot steps shook nirvana as a large suit of armor came walking down one of the crumbling roads and from it spoke a booming voice. "We'll take it from here. You civilian wizards should clear out." Brosnan commanded without so much as facing Erza or Jellal.

"Hey!" Erza called back in annoyance. "Don't try to send us away! We can fight!"

"Really? That's great." Brosnan answered sarcastically even though no one could see her roll her eyes. "Why don't you go do that somewhere else. There are supposed yo be six dark mages somewhere on this walking city go bother one of them. This is PERSONAL!"

"Personal? But I!" Erza was ready to argue before a hand reached out and grabbed hold of her shoulder.

"There right." Jellal declared, calming Erza down. "We need to find a way to stop Nirvana before it's too late. We can't afford to be distracted any longer." Erza nodded with understanding and the two mages took off to deal with the oracion seis.

"Well now that that's dealt with, I can finally teach you a lesson Dumbass." Brosnan taunted as she pointed her massive sword towards the building in which Mason was currently recovering.

"YOU….." Mason's voice crept out from the shadows sending shivers down the spines of Julia and Tyson.

"What the?..." Julia muttered as beads of sweat dribbled down her forehead.

"WHAT THE HELL DO YOU THINK YOU'RE DOING GETTING IN MY WAY?!" Mason roared as his scaly hand emerged from the darkness grabbing a hold of the stone wall and nearly shattering the whole building.

"Brosnan!" Tyson spoke up. "Something is wrong here! I suggest proceeding with caution."

"Caution? Are you serious? This idiot couldn't take me on his best day even if I fought with my eyes closed. Why should I be HUH?!" Brosnan stopped her taunting as she sensed a massive surge of magic power, she barely moved fast enough to block a massive blast of white magic. "This magic…. It's not real, it can't be…." Brosnan couldn't believe her eyes as the energy blast pushed her and all of her massive armor back several feet and when the attack subsided Brosnan's entire gauntlet was obliterated leaving her bare hand out in the open. "My…. armor….."

Mason finally emerged from the dark building, the moon light reflecting off his charcoal scales. His crimson eyes burned with rage. "If you idiots think that just because of our past that I'll let you stand in the way of my justice then you have another thing coming! If you're gonna protect that monster Jellal then that makes you my enemy, and you'll share his fate!" With that Mason disappeared.

"Where did he…" Brosnan tried to scan the battlefield but found no trace of the dragon slayer until he reappeared directly under her nose.

"Right here!" He taunted before he fired a magic uppercut into Brosnan's armored stomach. " **VANISHING FIST!"** Masons magic began to pool in his fist and the build up caused Brosnan's armor to crack until it shattered into thousands of tiny pieces that fell gently to the ground.

"It's completely gone…" Brosnan looked down at the shattered bits of armor and felt her blood begin to boil. "I loved that suit you asshole!" Brosnan roared as she lifted up her massive sword, whose blade began to glow golden, and swung it at the possessed Mason.

Mason leapt over the swinging sword and retaliated with a blast of magic energy that knocked Brosnan back at least a dozen meters. While on the retreat Brosnan counter fired with three short eye blasts each of which landed in close proximity to Mason, getting the dragon slayer caught up in the explosions. When the smoke eventually subsided it revealed that Mason had shielded himself in a magic dome.

Using his heightened telekinesis Mason began lifting dozens of large stones into the air before he threw them at his former commander. Brosnan began to destroy the rocks away one after each other with a barrage golden energy blast but in the end there were too many rocks and Brosnan found herself once again taking evasive actions. She was able to dodge most of the flying stones but one got the drop on her from above and it smashed her into the dirt.

The powerful light mage managed to push off the large stone but by the time she had returned to her senses Mason had a large energy ball charging in his palm and it was aimed at Brosnan. "Say goodbye boss…." Mason taunted.

Before the villainous dragon slayer could unleash his attack a green laser beam blasted him in his blind spot and sent him flying the opposite direction. He managed to catch himself on his descent and turned to find Julia had stepped up to oppose him, her hand sparkling with emerald colored magic. "Ew dude look at your skin." Julia joked. "Do you need to borrow some moisturizer or something, looks more like your dad was an avocado than a dragon."

"GRRR!" Mason growled as he prepared to face his new target, but before he could move to attack two massive hands reached out from behind him and locked on to his arms to keep him from escaping.

" **EXPLOSION MAGIC! CRIMSON METEOR!"** Tyson declared and the hands that were locked on Masons arms began to glow red before KABOOOMMMM! A massive tower fire and smoke erupted where the two wizards were standing.

Meanwhile Julia rushed over to assess her injured captain and help her back to her feat. "Gaaahh!" Brosnan winced as she began moving on her own. "He's too strong… You need to leave, I'll hold him back for as long as I can and then."

"And then what?" Julia interrupted knowing Brosnan wouldn't have an answer. "If he's too strong for you then who's gonna stop him? Who's gonna stop Nirvana? This is Mason we're talking about, we don't have to beat him we just gotta snap him back to normal and you don't have to do this alone captain."

Brosnan looked back at her comrade and realized Julia was right, but at the same time Tyson was tossed from the smoke and landed in front of the two girls. "Guuuuhhh…." The massive soldier groaned. "I think I pissed him off." Tyson jestured over to the pile of smoke where he left the Dragon slayer and to piercing red lights could be seen through the smoke. Then with a flare of magic energy Mason dissipated all the smoke before he himself disappeared.

"ON YOUR GUARD NOW!" Brosnan commanded, but she was a little too late as Mason reappeared behind Julia and planted a glowing foot directly between her shoulder blades and kicked her into Brosnan.

"Enough!" Tyson leapt to attack, his massive hands already crimson with destructive magic. Mason lunged in as well and ducked under Tysons hand before turning around and grabbing him by the arm and grappling him over his head before slamming him into the dirt before aiming a magic blast at the old wizard's chest but before he could BAAAMMM! another green energy blast hit Mason in the back getting him to turn around.

" **PLASMA DRAGON CLAWS!"** Julia leapt forward, her hands had transformed into energy blades and she began to slice at Mason, the phantom dragon backpedaled away from Julia so that he was always a few steps ahead. Julia went in for a lunge when Mason grabbed a hold of her wrist and pulled her towards him, at the same time he drove an elbow into her stomach. "AACCKKK!" Julia let out a mouthful of spit before Mason tossed her away.

" **GOLDEN SHINE!"** Brosnan called out as her body was engulfed with golden power. "AAAHHHHH!" Brosnan charged Mason, the surge of magic power making her quicker on her feet. "Take this!" Brosnan threw a punch that Mason decided to knock out of the way.

"Wow that was kind of impressive, if that had landed I bet it would've stung a bit. Tell me what you think of this!" Mason threw a punch at Brosnan that locked the Knight Captain back a few paces.

"Ughhh…." She groaned and she stumbled back, but she quickly shook off her pain and charged back in with another blow that Mason once again blocked and countered with a chop to her side. "GAAAHHHAAAAHHH! Grrrrr….." Brosnan limped forward and summoned her massive broadsword. "Take this!" She swung the massive blade but before it hit Mason knocked the sword out of Brosnan's hand but he hadn't yet realized this was a surprise attack. " **BEAUTIFUL CANNON!"** Brosnan launched a massive golden blast into Mason's chest, knocking him back.

"AAAAHHHHH! HAAAAAHHHHH!" Mason cried out as he went tumbling into the pavement. Mason pushed himself up off the ground and looked forward with rage filled eyes. "That hurt…." Mason growled, not noticing the ground beneath him began to glow red.

" **CRIMSON DESTRUCTION! LAND MINE!"** Tyson announced as a massive explosion erupted below Mason's feet.

When the smoke cleared Mason had shielded his body with a dome like magic barrier, but it was clear he had still taken some damage but nevertheless a smile formed across his face . "Good to see you guys do have a decent amount of fight in you…"

"You have no idea!" Jullia lept on top of Mason, a ball of green magic in her hand that exploded on contact with Mason's back. The knock back of her attack knocked her back up into the air where she readied another magic attack. " **PLASMA DRAGON MACHINE GUN!"** Smaller magic blasts rained down above Mason forcing him to take cover under his arms. Julia landed and saw and saw an opening. " **PLASMA DRAGON ROAR!"**

"AAHHHH!" Mason roared as the power magic blast knocked him back across the battlefield.

"Haha! All that magic power has gone to your head, you're fighting pretty sloppy!" Julia taunted as Mason through a magic circle up in front of his arms. "Oh crap!"

" **PHANTOM DRAGON CANNON!"** Mason unleashed a massive magic blast that Julia barely managed to dodge before it went off and destroyed an entire block of crumbling houses. "But guess what, I have a good amount of fight in me too."

" **GOLDEN STARFALL!"** Brosnan fired of a blast of magic light into the sky that separated into hundreds of drops of light that started to rain down on Mason.

Mason created a magic shield above his head to deflect the golden bullets, meanwhile Tyson started to charge him. "RAAAAHHHHHH!" Tyson rapped up Mason in both of his massive arms, which started to glow crimson as he ran.

Before Tyson's magic explosion could go off Mason simply phased through the massive wizard's body and let him continue on his charge. " **CRIMSON ERUPTION!"** The massive explosion went off without its primary target, destroying nothing but ground. "Huh? Where'd he go?" As Tyson was preoccupied by his failed attack he didn't notice the stones he scattered with his attack began to levitate around him before they started clinging to his body until he was entirely covered with stones to the point where he couldn't move.

"One down…" Mason muttered as he turned away from his conquered foe.

"Let him go!" Julia called out as she prepared an attack. " **PLASMA DRAGON ROAR!"** Julia unleashed a massive mouthful of magic power.

"Gladly.." Mason said coldly as he used his telepathy to place the stone covered Tyson in front of Julia's roar. The magic blast was powerful enough to knock the stones off of Tyson's body but the blast was also so powerful that it rendered Tyson temporarily unconscious.

"Oh god! Tyson I'm so sorry!" Julia apologised as Mason appeared from out of nowhere behind her.

" **PHANTOM DRAGON STRIKE!"** Mason kicked Julia from behind knocking her forward before vanishing once more. He reappeared in front of Julia as she was flying and delivered a powerful magic punch into her stomach. " **VANISHING FIST!"** Mason knocked Julia into the dirt.

"Two down…" Mason declared before the dust had even settled, then his eyes fell to Brosnan. "One to go." Mason then vanished once more.

"Crap…." Brosnan muttered as she looked all around her, not seeing any trace of Mason. "Enough with this hide and seek crap! Show yourself! Fight me for real!"

"Careful what you wish for.." Mason whispered into Brosnan's ear as he slowly reappeared right beside her.

"WaaahhhH!' Brosnan jumped back as she summoned her Sword. "Why you!" Brosnan lunged forward with her massive blade ready but Mason floated carefully out of the way.

"C'mon we already played this game…" Mason joked as he danced around Brosnan's attacks. "You can't beat me one on one in close quarters, especially not with this ridiculous thing." Mason said as he pinched the tip of Brosnan's blade, with a grip so strong that the light mage couldn't pull it back then with a flick of his wrist he knocked the sword out of Brosnan's hand and sent it flying before it landed blade down into a rock. "I get the whole armor thing, you're honestly not that intimidating without it but what's the deal with the huge sword. I mean you don't really need it."

"I don't know it comes in handy!" Brosnan announced as she lifted her arm and began to pull the sword towards her but before she could reach Mason ripped out of the air.

"Really?" Mason asked as he examined the blade. "Then maybe I should give it a spin!" Mason said with a swing of her sword that Brosnan barely managed to dodge. "Oh you're right, this thing is fun!" Mason said as he lunged forward with his new toy.

BAM! BAM! Brosnan shot two magic blasts from her eyes, each of which Mason knocked away with the massive sword. The Dragon slayer struck the earth with the might blade sending a rippling crack towards Brosnan who managed to leap out of the way at the last second. "Alright that's enough!" Brosnan said as she dispelled her sword in a flash of light.

"Awh and things were just getting fun…" Mason taunted as Brosnan fired an energy blast at the Dragon Slayer. Mason didn't even turn he simply created a magic circle that deflected Brosnan's attack back at her.

"AAAHHHH!" Brosnan cried out as her own magic knocked her to the dirt, but regardless it didn't take her very long to get back up.

"You know I never would've told you but I always admired how hard you work but right now I kinda wish you'd just give up." Mason said as he looked down at his old friend with darkness in his eyes.

Brosnan looked back up at Mason her eyes shining with magic power. " **BEAUTIFUL CANNON!"** She fired another magic blast aimed at Mason's head, to which the Dragon Slayer evaded with a simple step back.

"Really? You just don't know when to quit do you? Huh?!" As Mason was busy taunting Brosnan leapt into the air her entire arm charged with golden magic.

" **BEAUTIFUL PUNCH!"** Brosnan buried her fist into Mason's and it was followed by a huge magical burst. Brosnan began to pull her arm back but her wrist was quickly caught by Mason who squeezed tight. "AHHHAAAHH!"

"That…. Stung!..." Mason growled as he tightened his grip more and more until SNAP!

"AAAAAAHHHHHAAAAAHHHGGGG!" Brosnan roared in pain before Mason eventually let go, the rune knight dropped to her knee and her arm,which was now bright red and majorly swelling, fell limp by her side.

"And that makes three." Mason declared in a menacing voice before GURGLE! Mason's stomach roared at him. "Guess it's time to fill up before I take care of Jellal." Mason spread his boney wings and took to the sky, at the same time streams of magic energy rose up from the ground and into Mason.

"So he can fly….." Julia joked as she picked herself up out of the dirt, her smile soon faded as she noticed her fallen comrade. "Oh god! Brosnan!" Julia quickly rushed over to her leaders side. "Brosnan are you okay."

"GGGGHHHH!" Brosnan tried to fight back the pain and sit up but she couldn't find the strength. "My arm… I think it's broken…"

"Here…" A battered and bruised Tyson called out as he approached the two ladies holding a piece of torn cloth. "Use this to bind her arm." In no time at all Brosnan was in a makeshift splint and she was able to get back on her feet

"Good thinking Tyson. Hmmmmm…." Brosnan looked up at the feeding Mason with a nervous expression on her face. "Seems like our defeat only served to drain his batteries a bit and now he's recharging."

"So much magic power…" Julia managed to spit out as she could do nothing but watch as Mason funneled power through his body.

"It's Nirvana itself, he's absorbing power directly!" Tyson explained. "We have to stop him before it's too late. If he absorbs too much magic it'll kill him, he could explode. Not to mention that at the rate we're going Nirvana should reach the Cait Shelter guild in less than five minutes. If that happens you can consider our mission an utter failure."

"Hehehe…" Mason chuckled. "If I were you I wouldn't worry too much about either of those things, I've thought of a way to deal with both those problems." With that the dragon slayer lifted both hands into the air above him where magic began pooling into a massive orb about ten to twelve feet in diameter. "I'll use this excess magic to destroy Nirvana." Mason's pupils shrank as a deranged smile formed across his face. "But unfortunately that entails blowing you all to bits along with it!"

* * *

(Meanwhile, Jellal' s POV)

SHING! I watched helplessly from the ground as Erza slashed through Midnight with her long bladed spear. "No…. My illusion failed me…. She saw right through it…" Midnight cried out as he dropped to his knees. "I'm the strongest member of the Oracion seis. No one is supposed to be able to touch me…. My prayer…. I'm sorry father but now I'll finally sleep…." With that the supposedly strongest of the Oracion Seis faded into unconsciousness.

I Couldn't help but admire Erza's power, Midnight's reflector magic seemed unbeatable but not only did she find a way to overcome that obstacle but she didn't waste a second destroying his illusion. "Erza that was…. What is that?!" It was like the air itself turned sour. Dark magic, an ungodly amount. It felt as though there was enough to destroy the entire country and that's when I saw it, a ball of white and black floating above the moving city. It was big enough to have been mistaken for a second moon.

"No…. That much magic power….. He's gonna destroy everything…" Erza exclaimed in a way that set my brain on fire.

"What?..." The way she said it mixed with the familiarity of this sense of dread and the feeling of dark magic seemed to have sparked something in my head.

* * *

(Flashback)

"Ughhh…" I woke up in a pile of shattered crystal, my head ringing. "Wear am I?" I rubbed the back of my bruised head and that's when everything came back to me, all the horrible things I had done. I was on the Tower of Heaven an atrocity I had built on the bones of the slaves I forced to work until they died from exhaustion, powered buy the souls of countless sacrifices that I hoped to top off with the blood of the only girl who's ever cared about me in my entire worthless life. "Oh god…." But I wouldn't have much time for self loathing.

"This much magic power, it's gonna destroy everything around us. I have to stop it." I white haired mage declared as he lifted Erza and a pink haired boy into the air with telekinesis before he approached a glowing blue orb in the center of the crystal room where he plunged his hand into the magic ball. "I should have enough power to activate it and send the magic somewhere safe."

Erza said something in retaliation but my head was spinning and I couldn't hear the rest of the conversation before he floated Erza and her friend gently down to the water below. Then the blue orb slowly began to consume him until he had been pulled in completely.

"MASON!" For some reason I suddenly recalled that wizard's name and I knew I didn't want him to die, not for the tower I built. I quickly pushed myself up and ran over to the orb where I reached in for Mason's hand. The consistency of the orb was like warm jelly and there was a good deal of resistance pulling Mason from it but eventually it began to give way and I was able to rip him free.

"HUUUUUUHHHH!" As soon as he was free from the orb Mason inhaled a mouthful of air before dropping on the floor to cough his lungs out. "Ack! Ack! Ack! What the hell are you still doing here.."

Mason didn't even need to look up to know I was the one who had pulled him out of that crystal. "I'm not gonna leave you to clean up a mess I made all on your own. I know it can't make up for the things I've done, but I at least have to do something right." It really is the least I can do, sacrificing myself to stop this damn tower. I plunged my hand deep into the cold blue jelly and almost like a vacuum the crystal began to suck out my magic power the crystal even changed colors.

I was feeling drained and soon the blue goo began to pull my arm in to supplement its hunger, but as I prepared for what seemed to be the inevitable I felt a strange warmth surround my arm. I looked to the right to find Mason had once again stuck his hand into the blue orb and was providing power of his own to feed the tower. "What are you doing?!"

"I'm helping you!" He answered as he planted his feet to keep from being sucked in. "It's what friends do."

"Friends huh? Are you sure about that." I cautioned him but he answered with a goofy smile as he continued to pour in magic power. "Guess I could use a couple friends." Not wanting to let my new 'friend' show me up I went ahead and matched his output and our magic power began to merge and a swirl of light formed in the orb but I could feel the magic become unstable. I knew things were gonna blow. "So long." I turned and blasted Mason out of the tower before adding another hand to the unstable core. The energy began to build and everything went white…..

* * *

(End of Flashback, with the Rune Knights.)

"Unfortunately that entails blowing you all to bits along with it!" Mason declared as he increased the size of his magic orb by two or three times.

"Too much…. Too much power, there's nothing we can do to stop an attack like that!" Tyson shouted as he tried to fight back the raging winds.

"With my arm broke…." Tyson looked back and forth as she weighed her options. "There's nothing we can do but…." Brosnan mumbled under her breath. "HEY DUMBASS!" She roared at the top of his lungs getting the dragon slayer to look down. "What the hell do you think you're doing? Has your head really been so far twisted by this city that you're gonna kill dozens of people to get to one and you'll call that justice?! You used to know what Justice was! Don't you remember?!"

Mason stared back at the light mage for a few moments before delivering his answer. "This is justice…."

"No son, it's not…." Tyson stood firm to oppose the Dragon Slayer. "You know this isn't justice, I know you know that. When I brought you in when you were on your own and spent the last seven years making sure you knew what justice was. Taking this man's life and turning a blind eye to those who you might hurt, that's revenge. It's not righteous, it's weak."

Mason dispelled the ball of magic and descended to the ground he then rushed over to Tyson and grabbed him by the throat lifting him in the air. "I'm not weak! Not anymore…. Maybe I should show you." Mason tightened his grip around the old man's throat and began to literally squeeze the life out of him.

"Oh yeah! You think stealing some flashy magic makes you strong?" Amber stepped up trying to distract Mason to keep from suffocating Tyson. "At this point you've taken so much free power that your magic is unrecognizable. Can you even call yourself Phantom Dragon Slayer at this point. You're so full on that Nirvana magic there's not much phantom left in you and that magic is eating at you, it's consuming the great wizard you were if you don't give it up all that's left will be darkness."

"Give it up?" Mason muttered before dropping Tyson, letting him catch his breath. "I can't give it up. I need it. I was weak before, I couldn't stop him on the tower, he hurt Erza, he killed Simon because I wasn't strong enough. I'm strong now."

"No you're not, ambers right this easy way it doesn't make you strong." Brosnan stepped up to comfort Mason. "You also weren't weak back then either, you've never been weak. I've always respected how strong you were, if you didn't finish the job with Jellal on the tower then there's a reason you let him live. Maybe he deserves a second chance."

"HAH! HAH! HAH HAH! HAH!" With everything seemingly falling around him Mason panicked and started hyperventilating. "H-H-He He He…. He's my friend…" Mason spit out as the white magic seemed to leave his body causing him to drop to his knees. "I'm… I'm sorry guys."

"We know." Brosnan said as she reached down with her good arm to pick up her old friend. "Now get off your ass. We have a job to do."

* * *

(end)


	22. Chapter 22

Chapter 21

As the white magic that had been possessing him seemed to leave his body, the exodus of so much magic power at once caused Mason to drop down to his knees. "I'm… I'm sorry guys."

"We know." Brosnan said as she reached out a hand to pick up her old friend. "Now get off your ass. We have a job to do." Brosnan pulled the dragon slayer up to his feet which is where Mason noticed his old friend's injured arm.

"Oh god! Didi I do that!" Mason quickly bowed apologetically. "I'm so sorry guys for all that stuff."

"Pick your head up, apologies can wait. We gotta stop this thing." Brosnan had clearly returned to command mode and only had one thing on her mind.

"So you really don't remember breaking the boss's arm?" Julia asked as she slipped up beside Mason, startling him. "You were all, 'How dare you touch me!' and she was like 'AAAHHH! My arm! Mason how could you! We're supposed to be friends!' and you were like 'Ha ha ha! Nirvana is my only friend now!'" Julia acted the whole scene out complete with unique voices for all the characters.

"So I was acting like some cheesy super villain. I wish I remembered more of what happened." Mason said sorrowfully as he continued to follow slowly behind his old teammates.

"Julia exaggerates, you acted pretty much the same way you usually do only darker." Tyson replied.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Mason called back as he hurried to catch back up with the other three.

"Arrogant, cocky, completely insufferable as always." Brosnan elaborated as she blew down a wall that impeded their forward progression. "Only Nirvana helped you actually back it up. When you weren't acting like a total jerk you kept spewing crap about justice and you mentioned people I've never heard of before."

"Yeah sounds like you really have it out for that Jellal guy, you must really hate him." Julia said getting Mason to grimace slightly. "Whose Simon?" Julia continued getting Mason to make an even more sour face.

"Jellal was the first friend I made when I was taken to the tower of heaven and for awhile he was my best friend but the day I left something...happened to Jellal. The tower poisoned his mind and he went dark. Simon was another of my friends from the tower, despite living on the tower for so long Simon grew up to be a good man. Jellal killed Simon before the tower was destroyed." Despite being told in only the simplest of terms, Mason's story captured the attention of the other wizards.

"No wonder you hate that dude." Julia spat out, unable to read the room.

"I don't hate Jellal, trust me I tried but I can't seem to bring myself to hate him. I've always thought of him as my friend, if anything I was angry at myself. I had a chance to spot Jellal on the tower of heaven and then again I could've let Erza finish things but again I couldn't bring myself to do it. I let Simon die because I was too weak to do what needed to be done and when I saw Jellal again those feelings were magnified and I was afraid that I still wasn't strong enough to do what I needed to do and that's when I let Nirvana in." Mason said as he kicked a stone down the road.

"Killing Jellal wouldn't have fixed anything." Brosnan said as she looked back at Mason with sympathetic eyes. "Trust me, it would've only made things worse."

"Yeah I get it…" Mason said softly, feeling ashamed of his actions.

"So on a lighter note." Julia chirped up. "Why are you still all grey and scaly?" Julia poked at the rough scales that decorated Mason's face. "I thought we knocked all that nirvana magic out of your system."

"Not all of it." Mason demonstrated by setting his hand ablaze with white magic. "I still have the magic I took for myself, I've already digested it at this point. You knocked out the Magic that Nirvana was trying to sedate me with."

"Sedate you?" Tyson asked, a hint of suspicion in his voice. "How do you mean?"

"Well like I said, I don't remember much of what happened when I was under Nirvana but I do remember that every time I started to feel myself coming to or every time I felt any pain Nirvana would force feed me tons of magic power and things would go dark." Mason said as he scratched his temple. "It's kinda giving me a headache… Speaking of which, where are we going?"

"While we were fighting I sensed another large amount of Magic power somewhere on Nirvana. It's too high to be just another Guild wizard, I figure whoever it is must be in charge." Brosnan said as she continued to trek forward, not letting her injury slow her down. "We're gonna find this guy and beat him up until he stops this thing."

"His name is Zero." Mason said seemingly out of nowhere. "I don't know who told me that, maybe it was Nirvana or maybe it was Zero himself who told me but that's his name and he's dangerous." Mason then took a glance down at Brosnan's arm. "And you're in no condition to fight him."

"Then how do you suppose we stop him?" Brosnan said as she stared back at the Dragon slayer.

"I don't think WE are gonna do anything. YOU need to get somewhere safe." Mason then spread his wings as if to show of. "I'm still stronger than you are anyway plus I got you all into this mess, I should fight him."

"Oh no you don't!" Brosnan pushed a finger into Mason's chest. "As long as you're all weird and scaly and full of that Nirvana magic you aren't gonna be doing anything. Who knows what could send you back over the edge. Nirvana got in your head once and who's to say it can't creep its way back in."

"What? Are you seriously worried about that. I'm fine." Immediately after he said that his eyes shot open wide and his legs began to tremble. "Nevermind, I'm not okay…" Mason bent over to hide his face.

"Mason what's wrong." Brosnan went over to comfort Mason. "C'mon you gotta talk to us."

"Nirvana is…. Nirvana is…." Mason groaned.

"What? Nirvana is what?" Brosnan said as she flipped Mason over to look at his face which had gone totally green.

"Nirvana is moving….. I think I'm gonna puke…." Mason managed to get out before his cheeks filled up.

"Ew! Not on me!" Brosnan pushed the Dragon Slayer off of her and onto the ground.

"Ugh… Ichiya's spell must've worn off." Mason struggled to so much as stand still but then out of nowhere his motion sickness seemed to stop. "Hey we stopped moving!" Mason said cheerfully before realizing what that Must mean. "Oh God we stopped moving."

"Boss! I smell three wizards headed right for us." Julia called down from the top of a building before looking back for a moment. "I also see them, one super pretty redhead a dude with blue hair and a little girl with black hair."

"I know them…." Mason said sounding pretty unenthusiastic about seeing his old 'friends…'

"Mason!" Erza called out as she Wendy and Jellal got close enough but rather than a friendly reunion she quickly pulled a sword on him. "Enough is enough! I'm ending things here!"

"Wait! I'm back to normal!" Mason called out as he hid behind his arms to block the the attack but it never came and Mason eventually looked up to see that Erza had stopped her attack but was still on guard. "Uhhh… I'm sorry for my actions earlier, please forgive me."

"So you're really back to normal. You're still all scaly.." Erza slid her hand down the side of Mason's face to feel his scales. "It's grosser than I thought it would be."

"Ok that's enough touching." Brosnan spoke up, getting Erza to jump. "Listen, you civilian wizards had your shot but clearly this has gotten out of hand. You better pack up your things and evacuate. Leave this to the pros."

"I don't know who you people are but this is our job that your Magic Council assigned for us because they were busy putting themselves back together and fairy tail always finishes a job." Erza declared as she stood up to Brosnan.

"Well the council is back to one piece and they assigned us to this job because they didn't think that trusting the fate of the country to amateurs was that great of an idea and looks like they were correct in that assessment. As far as who I am, I'm Golden Eye Brosnan the Head captain of the largest magical army in the country, so I think I'm pretty qualified for this 'job'." Brosnan fired back.

"Ummm… Ms Golden Eye Brosnan you don't know me but my name Is Wendy Marvel…" The timid Dragon Slayer said as she respectfully approached Brosnan. "Ms Brosnan Nirvana is going to destroy my guild hall please don't send me home."

While the girls argued over who belonged where Mason and Jellal fed into the background where an awkward silence fell over the two of them. Eventually Mason decided he would be the one to speak up. "Uh…. Hey man…. Sorry about you know...trying to kill you."

"No I understand." Jellal replied equally as awkward. "I don't remember too much of what happened but it's pretty evident that I did some pretty awful things… That's why I need to bring an end to Nirvana to make sure nothing else horrible happens under my watch."

"You're really not the same as you were on the tower and that makes feel even more like stupid jerk. If I hadn't let my anger get the better of me then we could've already stopped Nirvana by now." Mason slammed his fist into a stone wall out of anger but accidently knocked the whole thing down.

"We can't worry about the past right now, someone needs to keep that cannon from firing or else hundreds of good people will die." Jellal said before he started staring off in the direction of Cait Shelter.

"Yeah… Someone needs to stop that cannon…" Without a second thought Mason spread his massive boney wings and took off into the sky leaving everyone else in the dust.

"MASON?!" Brosnan called out as she could only watch her old friend fly away from her. "WHERE DO YOU THINK YOU'RE GOING?!"

* * *

(With Mason)

"WHERE DO YOU THINK YOU'RE GOING!" Thanks to his abilities as a Dragon Slayer Mason could hear Brosnan's shout as if they were right next to each other even though he had gotten so far away he could no longer see her.

'Where am I going? If I told you, then you'd just call me an idiot wouldn't you.' Mason said as he eyeballed Nirvana's Massive cannon which already seemed to be charging up a magical blast aimed at Cait Shelter.

"Crap I thought I'd have more time but that things getting ready to blow and that's a lot of gun to destroy." Mason said as his fist was engulfed with Magic power. " **PHANTOM DRAGON VANISHING FIST!"** Mason struck the side of the cannon but his fist did nothing, not that this would dissuade the Dragon Slayer. " **PHANTOM DRAGON STRIKE!"** Mason hit it once more this time with a kick that did just as little but Mason kicked wailing back and forth against the side of the cannon but his efforts yielded little results, maybe a scratch or two but not enough to make any legitimate progress.

"Dammit this thing won't budge!" Mason roared as before Nirvana finally fired. Mason quickly flew in front of the massive magic blast and created a barrier using the magic he stole from the walking city that was strong enough to halt the energy but Nirvana's attack was slowly pushing Mason back. "Oh no you don't…." Mason growled as he fought against Nirvana's blast.

It didn't take long for cracks to form in Mason's shield and as ridiculous as it may have sounded a few minutes ago but he was losing magic power fast just fighting to keep up his shield. "C'mon! C'mon! You can't break on me now! If I can't hold this thing back then all those good people will be held accountable...just like Simon…." Flashes of Simon throwing himself in front of Jellal's attack dashed through his mind. "Just like Simon...just like Simon...just like simon… FWWWSSSSHHHHHH!" Mason opened his mouth and began to feast on the magic from Nirvana's cannon.

'Simon didn't even hesitate to through everything on the line to protect what he cared about, I should follow his example. When I became a rune knight I swore to protect innocence no matter the cost. When I joined Fairy Tail I promised to do whatever it takes to protect my friends, even if it kills me! Both are on the line now so I really need to give this my all!" After he finished psyching himself up Mason's cheeks swelled with Magic power. " **PHANTOM DRAGON'S ROAR!"**

Mason spit out a massive energy blast of magic power that equaled Nirvana's energy beam in size and even began to push back against Nirvana! " **ROOOOAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRR!"** Mason continued to feed his attack magic power but he soon started to lose ground against Nirvana's unyielding strength. Eventually Mason's scales began to evaporate into smoke as he no longer had the energy necessary to maintain Dragon Force, everything had been put into stopping Nirvana. Slowly Mason's wings, the only thing keeping him airborne, started to dissolve.

Mason's body was burning up at this point and his eyes were slowly beginning to close as his consciousness started to fade and Nirvana's attack was just a few inches away from obliterating the Dragon Slayer along with Cait Shelter. Just when things seemed to be at their worst, help arrived from the last place Mason would expect.

KABOOM! A massive magic explosion went off on Nirvana's left side, knocking the walking city off balance and altering the path of the beam so that it would miss Cait Shelter entirely and Mason watched as Christina, Blue Pegasus' Magic Bomber flew over his head. "Huh? Who would've guessed hehe…" Mason chuckled as he began to fall, his wings had been entirely burned off the last thing he saw was a golden flicker before he went unconscious.

* * *

(End, authors notes)

This one is a little bit shorter but the last chapter was a good bit longer so I think that makes up for it but if not then worry not the next one is on the way. Until next time please read rate and review! Bye ;)


	23. Chapter 23

Chapter 22

For Mason everything was dark, a familiar position for the Phantom Dragon Slayer and it wouldn't take long for Mason to stir from his slumber. "Wake up! Hey idiot you better get up right now!"

"Ughhh…." Mason groaned as he slowly opened his eyes where he immediately saw Brosnan looking down at him and slowly he realized she wasn't alone. Erza, Tyson, Wendy and Jellal had circled around above the Dragon Slayer with Julia rubbing her hands together as if she planned to shock him back to consciousness. "I'm up! I'm up!" Mason hopped to his feet to avoid Julia's shock.

"Awh…." The Gen 2 Dragon Slayer groaned with disappointment.

SMACK! Brosnan conked Mason on the back of his head, knocking him over and creating a bump on his noggin. "What the hell were you thinking!" She roared. "Are you trying to give me a heart attack or something?"

"What am I doing?!" Mason roared back, butting heads with the Knight Captain. "I'm saving the day! Like always! Somebody had to do something!"

"And you thought it was a good idea just to fly off without telling anybody." Brosnan and Mason continued to bicker back and forth while the rest of the wizards could only look on and laugh all except for one.

Wendy slowly walked up to the argue wizards before she poked at Mason's side. "Um Mister Mason…. Thanks for saving my guild hall."

"No problem kid." Mason smiled as he looked down at the young mage. "Us Dragon Slayers gotta stick out for each other you know."

"Uh...Right." Wendy nodded.

"And while we're on the subject of thanking people." Mason turned back to Brosnan, who still seemed to be mad at the Dragon Slayer. "Thanks for saving me back there." Brosnan didn't answer, she simply looked back with confused eyes. "When I was falling, before I went dark I saw gold light and figured that must've been you."

"Yeah but that wasn't me." Brosnan said before pointing a finger towards Jellal. "He's the one who flew out to catch you." The blue haired mage looked away feeling bashful.

"Jellal? Really?" Mason looked back at his former foe. "Uh thanks man…"

"Yeah don't mention it…." Looks like the awkward tension between the two hadn't quite been resolved.

"As long as you're thanking people might as well thank them." Erza pointed up to the magic bomber that was currently floating above Nirvana. "They're the ones who swooped in and made sure you didn't end up as toast."

"Oh yeah…" Mason looked up at the flying pegasus and waved his arm at them. "Thanks for the save."

"Don't mention it." A mysterious voice called out in Mason's head getting him to jump. "Also you don't have to wave, we can hear you."

"Hibiki?" Erza said aloud, recognizing the voice as one of Blue Pegasus' Trimen.

"Yes, it's good to see you're alive Erza." Hibiki answered back but his voice had gone ragged. "We're doing our best to hold on up here but we're running low on ammo and Magic power we won't be able to stop another blast from the cannon so you all have twenty-five minutes to stop this thing or else Cait Shelter will be destroyed. Luckily I've found Nirvana's weakness, what we thought were legs are actually pipes that collect magic power and store it in a massive lacrima at the base of each pipe. There are six legs which means six lacrima and we need to destroy all six at the same time in order to finally end Nirvana."

"Really? That's your big plan…" A much more sinister voice answered in everyone's head.

"Zero…." Mason muttered to himself.

"If you idiots think I'm gonna sit still and let you stop Nirvana then you have another thing coming. I already took care of three of you puny little wizards, the Ice Wizard, the Celestial mage and the Fire Dragon. You need to destroy all six of the lacrima in order to defeat me so all I need to do is stop one of you from finishing the job. Good luck Fairy Tail…" With that Zero's voice disappeared leaving all the other wizards to determine their next move.

SNIFF! SNIFF! Mason sniffed around before he seemed to find something. "There's something rotten coming from east of here, I bet you that's Zero."

"You mean you can smell him from here? Why didn't you do that before?" Erza asked feeling annoyed by the Dragon Slayer.

"Well for one I was kinda preoccupied until recently and another is that I couldn't really smell much through the stench of Jellal's soul...sorry…" Mason shrugged apologetically as he knew he let on a little more than he probably needed to. "Whatever the reasons are doesn't matter, I'll track down Zero and keep him preoccupied, the rest of you can work on dealing with those lacrima."

"No way!" Natsu's voice rang out through Hibiki's psychic communication. "Zero is mine. I owe him a major beat down."

"Natsu?" Erza called back through Hibiki's link.

"Don't count us out yet Erza!" Lucy was the next one to answer. "We wanna help."

"We still got some fight left in us." Gray followed up. "Just tell us where we need to go."

HOP! HOP! "I wish to help as well my honey…" A tied up Ichiya bounced over towards us. "All I ask in return is that you free me from this cursed rope."

"Understood." Erza took over command, freeing Ichiya from his bindings. "Natsu, Lucy, Gray you take lacrima one, two and three respectively Jellal, Ichiya, Wendy and I will take the four, five and six." As soon as Erza finished assigning numbers the communications cut out. "Ichiya you take four, I'll take lacrima five. Jellal you and Wendy go to the sixth one…. Jellal!"

Jellal looked to have spaced out for a moment but he eventually answered. "Lacrima six got it." Then he took of leaving Wendy behind.

"Hey wait for me!" The young Dragon Slayer cried out as she chased after Jellal, followed closely by her flying kitty cat.

Before Erza could leave as well, Mason reached out and grabbed her by the arm. "Hey what about us?"

"You've done enough, you're almost out of magic power. There are at least two Oracion seis members unconscious somewhere on Nirvana and two more down in the forest somewhere. You probably wanna make sure you have them all captured." Erza said before freeing herself and running off towards her lacrima.

"Wait!" Mason called out, he was ready to chase after her when he felt a hand grab hold of his shoulder.

"I don't love admitting it but she's right." Brosnan smiled calmly at Mason. "You're running on empty, I'm down an arm and this was their fight to begin with."

"It's my fight too." Mason pulled open his collar to show off his white guild mark. "I'm a member of Fairy Tail too, Master Makarov sent me because I have the most experience with missions like this. I can still fight."

"You've fought enough, you saved Wendy's guild. You need to recover." Brosnan let go and took a step back. "I need you and Julia on the ground."

"What? No way! You want me to abandon ship!" Mason argued. "Not gonna happen I can-"

"I need your nose on the ground, you and Julia are the only ones that can track an individual through all that forest." Brosnan's eyes narrowed as she became more serious. "Besides if I let you stay up here I know you'll try to run off and… GET DOWN!"

Brosnan pushed Mason to the dirt as a massive purple snake leapt out from behind a wall and sank its fangs into Brosnan's shoulder. "Brosnan!" Mason called out before the captain blasted the reptile off of her shoulder but her strength was fading and Mason ran up to catch her before she fell. "BOSS! Boss are you okay!?"

"Uhhh…." Brosnan couldn't even speak as her eyes closed and her breathing sped up to the point where she was panting like she couldn't catch her breath.

"Boss!" Mason shook Brosnan hoping to get some form of movement out of her. "Come on! You gotta open your eyes!"

"Oh no… That doesn't look very good at all." A familiar villainous voice called out getting Mason to turn back, his eyes full of tears. That's where he found Erik standing atop a building petting his venomous pet. "Titania got it relatively lucky, but you can't exactly cut off her entire shoulder now can you and with your little healer nowhere to be found I give her five minutes." The dark mage shined a toothy grin down on Mason and his friends. "Ten tops."

Mason lifted the sickly Brosnan up and dropped her in Tyson's arms. "Get her to a hospital, fast! Drop Julia off in the forest, she needs to track down those other two wizards." Mason declared as he turned to face Erik.

"Hey why should we listen to you, you're not the boss of us anymore! I'm gonna stay and fight!" Julia argued back but Mason replied by looking back over his shoulder and glaring at his old teammate, his eyes glowed with fury and Julia immediately backed off and grabbed hold of Tyson's massive arm. "Aye sir!"

"You're going to fight him alone, Mason you're almost out of Magic power!" Tyson warned the Dragon Slayer.

"Trust me. For this, I have plenty of power." Mason summoned Magic power to each of his hands and took a battle stance. "Now go!" Without so much as another word Tyson blasted off with his rocket jets and the second he was gone.

"Haha! You really wanna fight me all by yourself, you must be some special kind of stupid. I'm not taking it easy on you anymore." Erik taunted as he cracked his purple knuckles.

" **Phantom Drive…."** Magic power exploded around Mason before he disappeared. " **VANISHING FIST!"** He appeared right next to Cobra with a punch aimed for his jaw.

"Nice try!" Erik grabbed Mason by the arm and threw him over his shoulder and down onto the ground knocking him out of his drive mode in the process. "You're so angry, I could hear that coming a mile away."

" **PHANTOM DRAGON ROAR!"** While he was lying on the ground Mason opened his mouth and shot A spiral of purple phantoms aimed directly at Erik's head.

"Woah." The poison dragon exclaimed as he just barely managed to leap out of the way. "You almost got me there but man your head is screaming at me. I'd tell you to calm down but it doesn't really matter. You got the jump on me before but now you can't just rely on overpowering me anymore!" Streams of smoky crimson magic erupted around Erik before he delivered a nasty venomous punch to Mason's chin and filled his body with vicious toxins. "Face it buddy, your toast."

Mason stumbled backwards, the venom had already begun to attack everyone of his senses but Mason simply grit his teeth and took a step forward. " **PHANTOM DRAGON VANISHING FIST!"** Mason rushed forward, his arm blazing with magic power.

"Seriously?" Cobra stepped out of the way before delivering a poisonous kick to Mason's back. "You don't need to announce your attacks dumbass!" Erik kicked Mason off the top of the building they had been standing on, and sent the weakened dragon slayer down to the street below. The dark mage then leapt down and landed a few inches to Mason's left. "I can hear your thoughts stupid! I know what you're going to do next, like a leg swipe!" Erik leapt over Mason's incoming sweeping leg. "Oh it was actually a fake out! You really wanted to go for a sucker punch!" Erik caught Mason's fist, inches before it reached his stomach. "Really, you almost had me there. **POISON DRAGON GRIP STRIKE!** " Poison magic exploded from Cobra's scaly hand, burning Mason's hand.

"AAAAAAHHHHAAAHHHH!" Mason pulled his hand back and desperately shook off the painful magic but a sizable burn had already formed on his skin. "GRRRR! YOU BASTARD!" Mason rushed back into the frey.

Erik smiled as he almost effortlessly dodged everything attack Mason threw at him. "I bet at this point you're regretting sending away those council wizards, especially since that bimbo with yellow eyes was dead the second Cubelios sank her fangs into her but don't worry I'll make sure you won't miss her for lon-Gooof!"

Mason struck Erik dead on in the jaw, shutting him up momentarily. "You wanna know something?..." Mason growled. "You can dodge read my mind, you can dodge my attacks and poison me all I want but none of it matters. You hurt Brosnan, now I'm gonna kick your ass…"

* * *

(Elsewhere)

VOOOOOMMM! Tyson's rocket booster arms blasted the three wizards forward as they soared over the forest. Brosnan at this point had gone completely unconcious.

"HEY!" Julia shouted over the sound of Tyson's jets. "SHOULDN'T WE TURN AROUND?! CAIT SHELTER IS BACK THE OTHER WAY, THEY'RE THE CLOSEST THING TO A HOSPITAL AROUND HERE!"

"WE CAN'T RISK THEM NOT HAVING THE PROPER SUPPLIES WE NEED TO TREAT THE BOSS!" Tyson answered as he scoured the horizon as he searched for something particular. "THE PLACE I HAVE IN MIND IS GONNA HAVE EVERYTHING WE NEED INCLUDING SKILLED HEALERS!"

Julia looked down with concerned eyes at her unconcious commander before replying to the old wizard. "YOU SEEM TO KNOW WHAT YOU'RE DOING! I TRUST YOU! THIS IS MY STOP, IF SHE DIES I BLAME YOU!" With that Julia leapt from Tyson's back and began to free fall down to the forest below.

"Good luck…" Tyson said to himself as he continued to fly forward, soon a gathering of blue and white tents came into view. "Finally…" Brosnan let out a faint sigh of relief.

Tyson gently landed in the middle of the campsite and was immediately surrounded by hundreds of rune knights. "Captain Tyson, we weren't expecting you. Welcome sir!" One of the soldiers said followed by a salute.

"ENOUGH CHIT CHAT! WE NEED TO GET HER TO THE MEDICAL TENT NOW!" Tyson screamed at the troops and he along with the fainted Brosnan were immediately escorted to the medical tent. Brosnan was quickly given a potion and hooked up to a magic lacrima, a device that carefully provides its user with the proper amount of healing magic, that way you don't need to rely on healing wizards.

"Good thing you got her to us when you did, the way she was going she had about two minutes left before the poison took her." The medic on board explained to the old wizard.

"So she'll make it?" Tyson asked, feeling a little more hopeful now.

"The venom isn't gonna kill her at this point but she is in a coma. How long it'll take to break is hard to tell. Three days, three months, three hours. It's hard to say but if she's as strong as people say she is then I have no doubt she'll be fine." Just as the Medic finished up his diagnosis, Lahar bursted into the tent.

"CAPTAIN!" He quickly ran over to the sleeping Brosnan to take things in for himself before turning to Tyson in anger. "How did this happen?!"

"One of the members of the Oracion Seis ambushed us. The Poison Mage, Cobra and his vicious beast of a pet ." Tyson explained. "Mason went out in pursuit of the culprit and I returned here to get the Captain proper medical treatment."

"Mason? So it's true, that reckless buffoon really did take with those Fairy Tail idiots. Way to throw another stick of dynamite into a forest fire. I for one am done with entrusting the fate of my country to these moronic amateurs." Lahar declared as he marched out of the tent. "Fifty fifth and fifty fourth platoons with me! We have a job to do."

* * *

(Back with Mason)

"GAAAAHHAAAHHH!" Mason roared as clocked Erik once more in the face.

"AHHAAAHH!" Erik stumbled back before catching himself and glaring back at Mason. "Dammit that hurt!" Cobra struck back but his attack surged with magic power, knocking Mason back a few yards. "Damn it, I don't know if you're smart or lucky or whatever but I can't hear your thoughts anymore. Your only thinking about that stupid girl! If I knew you were that into her, I woulda told Cubelios to go for the neck, spare her the suffering." Cobra smiled sadistically, but his face was soon met with another swift punch.

"She's not dead...:" Mason growled back.

"Oh she's dead alright." Cobra declared as he wiped the blood from his jaw. "And your batteries are so depleted you can barely stand. Once you drop dead, I'll bide my time and wait for your stupid little friends to wear out Zero or vise versa and then I'll sick cubelious on the winner and take control of Nirvana for myself. Brain promised me and everyone else in my guild that our prayers would be answered but he lied to us." Eriks fist began to shake as he reminisced over his betrayal. "If my prayers won't be answered then I'll make sure that no one else's will either, I'll use Nirvana to destroy everyone! This whole rotten country, reduced to ash! Everyone will know just how it feels to have their hope ripped from them!"

"You're insane… I'll never let a psycho like control something as dangerous as Nirvana…." Mason muttered as he struggled to keep himself upright. 'Damn it! He's right about one thing, I'm desperately low on magic power. You know what they say, desperate times desperate measures.' "FWWOOOOO!" Mason opened his mouth and began to inhale and before long streams of white magic began to flow into his open jaw. 'Ok Mason, just take what you need and don't go overboard. Think happy thoughts, like flowers or cakes. Just take the magic, don't let Nirvana into your head.' As Mason tried to remain calm as his body slowly began to change, once again charcoal colored scales sprouted across his face and all down his arms. "That should do it, no need to go overboard." Mason said before catching a glimpse of his scaly arms. "Oh…."

"Dude, what the hell is going on with your face!" Erik jumped at Mason's strange appearance. "That looks really gross…"

"You're one to talk Lizard Hands!" Mason threw back at Cobra.

"Lizard Hands? Is that really the best you got. If Natsu's dad was a dragon then I guess yours was a silver carp or something." Erik joked back, cracking himself.

"Whatever! Ready for round two?" Mason's hands erupted with magic power, one surged with his traditional purple magic and the other was charged with the white Nirvana power.

"Anytime Fish Face." Erik beckoned to Mason with two fingers.

"RAAAHGGG!" Mason charged forward swinging his purple fist at Cobra.

Erik blocked the attack by throwing up his arm to catch the blow, Mason then attacked from the other side but Cobra blocked this as well using his other arm. "Nice try. **POISON DRAGON ROAR!** " While he had Mason caught right in front of him, Cobra unleashed a point blank venomous spray all over Mason's face. "Haha! So much for Huh?!" Mason powered through the poisonous cloud and headbutted Cobra right in the jaw. "Ow! What the hell! OOOFFF!" Mason buried his fist into Eriks stomach.

"I'm all fired up…" A magic circle opened beneath Mason's feet and purple and white magic power exploded around him.

"Don't start talking like that flame brained idiot." Cobra said as he shook off Mason's attacks. "You fairy freaks really piss me off." Cobra shot death eyes at Mason before his giant snake slithered up next to him. "First thing I'm gonna do when I take over this walking dump is march straight to Magnolia and destroy the whole damn city starting with that embarrassment of a guild. Sick Em Cubelios!" The massive snake leapt at Mason who grabbed him by the jaw and tossed him to the side but he wasn't watching for the massive poison blast that blindsided him.

"Ack! Ack! Ack!" Mason started coughing up mouthfuls of crimson dust and his skin became even paler than before.

"Freaky magic scales or not you still have to breathe so no matter what my poison magic can still affect you." Erik said before he went over and kicked Mason in the stomach, knocking him down. "You can increase your magic power all you want but your magic can't protect you from the viruses that are slowly destroying your body."

"Gaah…." Mason pushed himself back off the ground. "My body doesn't matter, I'm gonna stop you! For the Boss!"

"Hah! Don't worry about her, you'll be reunited pretty soon." Cobra raised a poison covered hand and aimed it at Mason. "Farewell Dragon Slayer…" More and more magic power began to build in Erik's claw but before he could fire KABOOOOM! Nirvana itself began to shake as walls and buildings began to fall apart. "What the hell is going on?!" Cobra leapt onto the back of his flying snake before the ground below him fell apart.

"It's Nirvana…." Mason had taken to the sky as well once again making use of his boney wings. "My friends did it, they destroyed all six lacrima. Nirvana's falling apart."

"No way… They really beat Zero." Erik looked around and saw his plan literally crumbling around him. "Cubelios! Get us out of here!" Cobra commanded his snake to fly him the opposite direction.

"Not so fast!" Mason called out as he put both hands together. " **PHANTOM DRAGON CANNON!"** A spiral energy beam of swirling white and purple exploded from Mason's hands and straight at the fleeing Cobra.

" **POISON DRAGON'S GUARD!"** Erik made a cross with his arms and a wall of poison magic formed in front of him, blocking Mason's attack. "Not so HUH?!"

When Erik's poison wall faded, Mason was standing right in front of him with a glowing purple fist headed right for him. " **VANISHING FIST!"** Mason punched Erik dead in the face, sending him and Cubelios down onto a section of Nirvana that hadn't quite fallen apart yet. "That's for Brosnan…"

"Gaahhh…" Erik put a hand over his right eye as a stream of blood started to flow from it. "You're dead!" Erik growled. "Cubelios!" Cobra called out for his snake but Cubelios was busy watching the ground around it crumble, the massive reptile looked back at Erik with sorrowful eyes before taking off and flying the other way. "Cubelios…. Cubelios! Where are you going?!" Erik stood up and slowly began to limp over to Nirvana's edge not noticing the unstable ground he was standing on. "No! Please don't leave! Cubelios!" Erik cried out as the ground below him began to crack and crumble before it shattered.

"Woah!" Mason grabbed a hold of Eriks hand before he could plummet to his death. "This place is unstable. We have to go!"

"She left me…" Erik muttered he couldn't even hear Mason at this point. "My only friend…"

* * *

(End)

One more chapter in the Nirvana arch, who's excited? Please read, rate and review. Till next time, bye! ;)


	24. Chapter 24

Chapter 23

FWOOSH! Mason, carrying a depressed Cobra by the hands, flew in circles over the crumbling city as he scanned for signs of life. "C'mon… C'mon…. Where are you guys?"

"Stop…." Cobra called up to his captor. "I think I'm going to be sick…." The dark mage's face grew pale.

Mason continued to scan the ground beneath him until he saw a flash of red through the forest near Nirvana's crash sight. "There!" Mason announced before he swooped down.

"OH NO!" Erik called out as his face went green as they dropped down.

As Mason got closer to the ground he noticed something, a large army of Rune Knight soldiers Led by Captain Lahar, had surrounded the remnants of the allied forces and captured them in a prison of Magic runes and an argument between the two clans had broken out. "What the hell?" Mason muttered.

"If you insist on standing in the way of justice then we have explicit orders to destroy anyone who would get in our way." Lahar snapped his fingers and two soldiers carrying magic staves stepped forward and aimed their weapons.

"I'm tellin ya man! You're making a huge mistake!" Natsu roared back in defiance.

PLOP! Erik was dropped down, in between Natsu and Lahar. "Oww…." The poison dragon groaned before WHAM! Mason dropped down on top of him. "Owwww….."

"What the hell is going on here?" Mason asked as he stepped off of his captive.

"Oh there you are." Lahar replied, sounding disappointed. "For a second there I thought you had actually died this time, maybe you'd been crushed under all that rubble but I should've known that things wouldn't have gone my way."

"Oh hello Lahar. Nice to see you again too." Mason said sarcastically. "So just what seems to be the problem, why are my friends stuck in one of your stupid boxes."

"These civilian wizards tried to interfere with our apprehension of a known dangerous criminal." Lahar declared. "I had no choice but to detain them."

"That's not true!" Lucy called back from behind Lahar's magic prison. "We've been stuck in here since we got off of Nirvana."

"Yes! They trapped us in here!" Ichiya cried out. "And I'm about to make a letter of the alphabet in my favorite white pants!" Tears began to well up in the "Handsome" man's eyes. Mason placed his hand on the magic wall and with a surge of magic power the barrier was destroyed. "THANK YOU!" The muscle bound Ichiya sprinted into the woods for some privacy.

"You brought two whole platoons to detain one prisoner." Mason looked around at the dozens of nearly identical soldiers, before his eyes fell back to Lahar. "Little excessive, don't you think."

"For a prisoner of this magnitude the council won't take any chances but if you hadn't interfered on the tower of heaven, I doubt I'd even be here right now." Lahar's eyes narrowed as Mason began to understand just who they were after. "I will give you and your new "Friends" one las chance, surrender Jellal Fernandes to us at once or we will be forced to take him!"

Mason put a hand on his old teammates shoulders. "What I'm about to say may sound ridiculous and the fact that you hate me won't add me anymore credibility but Jellal killed my friend so I wouldn't have any reason to protect him out of loyalty but he's not the man he was. Jellal saved my life just a few minutes ago even though I threatened to kill him, he helped to stop Nirvana. He's a good man."

"There's plenty I don't trust about you. I don't trust your methods, I never trusted your loyalty and I was right, I certainly don't trust your sanity but with that being said I've always trusted your sense of right and wrong so if you say Jellal is now a good man then I believe you." Lahar brushed Mason's hand off his shoulder and stared back at him with serious eyes. "But unfortunately that doesn't change what he did before he was a good man. Thirty five innocent people were crushed when the council was destroyed and we gave up on counting the number of bodies in that tower. He will have his day in court, you can be there to speak on his behalf but that doesn't change the fact that I'm not leaving here without him."

"I'm not gonna let you take him, it's best you just forget he was ever here." Mason threatened as he took a battle stance.

"You don't scare me Dragon Slayer." SNAP! With a snap of his fingers ten soldiers stepped forward. "The council doesn't have your back this time, if you're planning on getting in my way then I will have no problem going through you."

"Big talk." Mason waved his arm and, using his telekinesis, ripped the staffs out of the hands of every Rune Knight present and crushed all of them in the air. "But if you wanna fight, you'll do it yourself."

"Are you insane?! How dare you attack the magic council! I'll have you thrown in a cell yourself!" Lahar pulled out a small batton like item that ignited into a sword of magic power. "If you want a fight, then that's what you'll get."

"Enough!..." A raspy voice called out from behind the waves of soldiers. Slowly, out trudged Brosnan, one arm around Tyson's shoulder and in her other hand she was using her massive sword like a walking stick to support her. Her face was completely pale and her eyes were tired and baggy. "Hasn't there been enough fighting for one day?..."

"Brosnan!" Lahar immediately shaped up in the presence of his commanding officer, putting away his weapon and stepping back from conflict.

"Boss…." Mason muttered as a massive wave of relief washed over the dragon slayer, to the point that Mason's scales disappeared as he lost any desire he had left to fight. He slowly began to walk towards Brosnan. "You're alright…"

"Umm… Yeah I'm okay. OOFF!" Brosnan was soon wrapped in a deep hug, delivered by the phantom dragon. A small red blush formed on the head captain's face. "Ahem! That's enough…" She pushed the white haired mage off of her.

"Haha! I knew you were stronger than that stupid snake! You had me scared there for a second but I never should've doubted you." Mason happily commended his old friend as she slowly began to lift her sword into the air, until WHAM!

"What the hell do you think you're doing?!" Brosnan scolded as Mason dropped to the ground with a large knot on his head. "Do you know how much two platoons worth of Magic stalves is gonna cost us and all because you're too impatient to talk things out." Brosnan then turned to Lahar and shot him an equally angry glare but she soon calmed down. "I hate to admit it but Mason's right, from the little time I've spent around him I've gathered that Jellal is a decent human being and without his assistance I doubt we would've been able to stop Nirvana without a single casualty." Mason looked hopefully at his old captain, but her expression remained stern and serious. "Though like you said fourth captain, that doesn't change the fact that he is responsible for the destruction of the previous magic council and all the lives that were lost in that event. We were tasked with arresting Jellal Fernandes and that is what we must do. I promise that when the time comes for a trial that I will speak to his good character and I urge you to do the same." Brosnan looked back at Mason sympathetically before continuing. "But the new magic council wishes to make an example out of and I doubt a million positive testimonies will change their verdict but that doesn't change the fact that our job a soldiers of the magic council is to ensure that justice and peace exists throughout Fiore and to that end we must take him with us…"

"I won't resist arrest!" Jellal declared as he finally stepped to speak his peace. "I won't denounce my sins, even though I have no memory of these crimes I won't deny their existence and I won't stand in the way of peace." Jellal lifted his hands to be cuffed. "I will go with you."

"No way!" Natsu roared.

"You can't!" Erza called out.

" **DRIVE!"** Magic power exploded around Mason as he turned to face Brosnan and her army. "He's my FRIEND! There's no way I'll let you take him! I don't care if I have to take on an entire army on my own! Who wants a piece of me?!"

BANG! A green energy bullet hit Mason dead in the forehead and he immediately dropped to the ground. CLICK! The petite Brunette Amber Celadon sat atop the detainment car and cocked her massive magic rifle. "Sleeping bullet…" Was the only thing she said in reference to her attack on Mason.

* * *

(Later)

RUMBLE! RUMBLE! The Magic Council's caravan rolled down the dirt roads that occupied the forest until they came across a familiar face. As if she somehow knew they would go this way, Julia stood at the side of the road, laying next to her was the celestial wizard Angel and the speedster Racer both of whom were tied up and incapable of moving.

"Took you long enough." Julia joked as she carried the two bound mages to the holding carriage. "I'll be honest boss, you've looked better."

"How'd it go, did you find what you were looking for?" Brosnan asked, still sounding sickly.

"No trace of Midnight or Brain so you know." Julia slid open the door to the mobile prison to find Erik who had buried his face in his hands as well as Hoteyes and Jellal who were just sitting quietly at the back of the car. "Hey he got him. Now doesn't that make you feel good, Mason went out and defended your honor, I've never seen him take something so seriously. He's totally into you." Julia joked but when Brosnan didn't give her a reaction worth wild, she eventually moved on and that's when her eyes fell on Jellal. "Hey isn't that…"

"Unfortunately he couldn't be spared, there was no other way." The well mannered Tyson said as he shut the barred door behind Julia.

"You know I don't believe that." Julia said as she forced a smile as the two of them returned to their Magic Mobile. "I'll drive!" The dragon slayer quickly piped up.

"I'd prefer that you didn't…" Tyson lowered his head as Julia sprinted for the driver's seat.

"Children, they shouldn't show sympathy towards the enemy." Lahar said as he readied the prison carriage to move.

"They have a point though." Brosnan answered as she took a seat next to the fourth captain. "When did our job become that of arresting good people?" Lahar didn't have any response for what Brosnan had asked, so he just focused on driving.

* * *

(Later, Cait shelter guild)

"OOMMM! NOM! NOM! NOM!" Natsu began to chow down on the small banquet the cait shelter guild members had put on for the male wizards of the coalition.

"Hey! Save some for the rest of us!" Gray cried out as he hurried to scarf down whatever he could before the bottomless pit known as Natsu could eat it all.

"C'mon Gray, have some manners.. What would Ur say if she saw you eating like a pig after all she taught us.?" Lyon facepalmed as his shirt somehow found a way off his body.

"C'mon.." Mason growled at one of the Cait Shelter wizards. "Old man, Tall, eye patch, scraggly grey beard. He had to have come through here, where else could he've gone?"

"I'm sorry, I don't remember seeing any such wizard come through here. You'll have time to worry about that later, please enjoy the food." The cait shelter wizard tried to calm down Mason to no avail.

WHAM! Mason punched the wall to the point where the whole building shook. "Damn it…" The dragon slayer growled as he marched towards the door.

"Where do you think you're going?" The wizard saint Jura stood between the door and Mason. "You won't do anyone any good out there."

"This place is weird!" Mason argued. "The whole town has this weird unsettling smell. The people smell weird, the buildings smell weird, even the food doesn't smell quite right…"

Natsu looked down at the half eaten chicken leg in his hand before shrugging. "Smells fine to me." He commented before returning to his gorge fest.

"There's something not quite right about this place and I shouldn't be here!" Mason yelled back as he phased through the wizard saint and continued to the door. "Not while that one eyed psychopath is on the loose and my friend is stuck behind bars!" Mason reached for the door but his other arm was wrapped up in Jura's massive hands before he could leave."Let go…" The dragon slayer growled.

"There's nothing you can do for him now.." Jura said softly but his eyes were filled with seriousness.

"Fine!" Mason ripped his arm from Jura and went so sit down at the noisy dinner table. Natsu slid his guild mate a plate piled with food that Mason initially ignored but soon his hunger had overtaken him and he partook in the meal.

* * *

(a few days later)

CREEK! Mason slowly pushed open the massive doors and was met with something truly unexpected, silence. All eyes were on the Dragon Slayer as he walked through the guild hall but he didn't notice, he simply took a seat at the bar and ordered a drink.

"So?" Grey asked as he, natsu, lucy, wendy as well as Happy and Carla huddled around him. "How did the trial go?"

"I think the whole guild would like to know." The ever cheerful Mirajane added with a smile as she served Mason his drink.

"Well…" The Dragon Slayer sat up and forced a smile. "It took everything we had but Brosnan and I managed to talk them down from a life sentence…" Spirits in the guild hall perked up, until Mason continued. "We managed to get them down to a hundred years, without the possibility of parole…" Mason said before he began to sip form his foamy glass.

Groans and curses erupted around the guild, Natsu even went as far to throw a few tables. Through the chaos the sound of stomping metal boots could be heard and everyone was soon silenced. Mason already knew who it was and didn't bother to turn around, that was until he felt a sympathetic hand on his shoulder. "Erza?" Mason turned around to see the red haired mage smiling down at him.

"Wanna take a job?" Erza asked as a comforting wave washed over Mason. The Dragon Slayer nodded. "Good, apparently there's a herd of thunder rhino's heading towards A small village to the north. Natsu! Gray! Lucy! We have work to do!"

"No way!" Gray called back.

"We just got back!" Natsu complained as well.

"A Fairy Tail wizards work is never done!" Erza declared proudly. "So are the two of you gonna shape up or am I gonna have to whip you into shape myself!"

"Aye sir!" Natsu and Gray said in unison as they clung to each other out of fear. Mason seeing the scene play out in front of him cracked a smile.

* * *

(Weeks later, Council Prison)

"Name?" A disembodied voice asked as two council guards pat Mason down.

"Mason Alastor…" The dragon slayer muttered, not feeling too comfortable about what was transpiring.

"Reason for being here?" The voice continued.

"Visitation…" Mason answered as a large drawstring bag was returned to him.

"Approved." The voice declared as Mason was escorted to a heavily guarded elevator.

There wasn't much talking as the elevator descended through dozens of floors before reaching the bottom where the doors opened to reveal four more guards were there waiting for Mason. This new set of guards escorted Mason down a long hallway full of camera lacrima. The guarded escort finally ended when they came to a large door covered from top to bottom with locks. Two guards went to work unlocking each individual lock, while the other two kept a firm watch over Mason.

Eventually the door opened into a white room that had been fully furnished. A magic television, large dining table, two completely full book shelves and a large well made bed. "You have a visitor!" One of the guards called out before shoving Mason into the white room. "One hour."

"Yeah, yeah I know." Mason said as they shut the door behind him, meanwhile CLICK! A large leather recliner clicked back into the upright position and Jellal pushed himself up and out of the cushiony seat. "Looks like you're finally enjoying yourself. Just so you know it took every last of my favors to get you set up in this room." Mason bragged.

"Yes I know." Jellal smiled back at his visitor. "You told me the last time you were here and the time before that and the time before that and the time before that." Jellal tried to peak his head around Mason as if he was looking for someone. "Did she not make it this time?"

"Not this time Romeo." Mason poked fun as he opened up his drawstring bag and pulled out a large white cake box. "She did send this, made it herself." Mason said as he placed the cake on the dining table.

"Oh thanks.." Jellal tried to be polite but his face gave truth to his real feelings.

"And I brought this." Mason said, pulling out a large bottle of liquor and placing it next to the cake.

"Oh! Thanks!" Jellal perked up at the site of Mason's gift.

"I also brought cards." Mason said as he brought out a pack of trading and took a seat at the table, Jellal took a seat across from him. "I don't think I've asked this before but what are they feeding you here?"

"Once again thanks to you I'm having steak tonight." Jellal said as Mason dealt him a hand.

"Really? Well for me I think I'm gonna grab a sandwich at the train station before I leave." Mason replied, sounding a little jealous.

"Fast food and Train travel? You sure that's the best idea?..." Jellal poked fun.

"Haha… Maybe not…" Mason said and the two wizards began to chuckle as they enjoyed their game.

* * *

(End)


	25. Chapter 25

Chapter 24

CREEK! Mason pushed open the Guild Hall doors and was met with the familiar rambunctious roar he had learned to associate with his new guild. Mason marched past the friendly chatter and ridiculous brawling and made his way to the bar, where he laid down a piece of paper in front of Mirajane. "Done…"

"You took down the whole fish head gang by yourself?" Mirajane marveled as she examined the flyer.

"Yeah, only one of them had an actual fish head though. The others wore masks. Oh yeah!" Mason fished for something in his pocket and pulled out another piece of paper. "Bill of arrest from the prison in Hargeon."

"Thank you." Mirajane happily took the bill and filled it away with the flyer. "Will contact the client and get back to you shortly with the reward. Now how about some breakfast?"

"Sure…" Mason said as he swiveled his stool around backwards to get a look at the guild.

"GRAHH!" Master Makarov grunted as he struggled to pull himself up onto the bar stool next to Mason. "You know.." The short old wizard was quick to strike up a conversation. "Solo missions are great every now and then but a lot of the jobs on that board are meant to be completed by a team of wizards. That's what makes fairy tail so special, you're surrounded by friends here why don't you take the time to get to know your new guild mates."

"I'm better on my own. When I was with the council my specialty was solo missions." Mason said, not making eye contact with the guild master.

"That maybe so but didn't you join fairy tail to experience something different then the life you lived as a soldier." Makarov pointed out.

"Hmmm…" Mason grunted as he scanned the guild hall for familiar faces. "Natsu and Erza aren't here?"

"Nope, they took Lucy, Gray, Wendy, Happy and Carla and went on a job a few minutes before you got back." Mirajane said as she happily poured Mason a cup of coffee.

"There are plenty of other wizards in the guild, plenty of whom would love to partner with a powerful wizard on a job," Makarov said as he swiped the coffee mug out of Mason's hand and took a sip. "Mmmm. Delicious as always Mira."

"You need a partner for a Job?" A perky girl with messy shoulder length blue hair chirped up as she took the other seat next to Mason. "I'll go with you."

Mason raised an eyebrow at this girl's chipper attitude. "Your name is Levy right?" Mason asked. "Don't you have a team already?"

"That's right! But you see I made cookies the other day and Jet and Droy had a competition to see who could eat the most and now they're both home sick!" She explained cheerfully. "Now I wanna go on a job but I hate working alone. You're a Dragon Slayer like Natsu and Gajeel right? I think it'd be fun to go on a job where we kick some major butt, like Lucy is always telling me about!" Levy grabbed Mason by the arm and began to drag him towards the door. "C'mon let's go!"

"Hey! Wait!" Mason called back in defiance but before he fully realized what was going they were already standing in front of the job board.

"So what looks good to you?" Levy asked as she browsed the posters. "Oh we can escort a wealthy merchant through the jungle for 50000 jewel. Potato bandits out in the desert, that's 30000. Hmmmm..."

"So…." A mischievous voice called out as an arm draped around both Mason and Levy's shoulder, both turned to see A young woman with chocolate brown wearing a blue bikini smiling at both of them. "You two going on a job?"

"You're name's Cana right." Mason said as he pushed her arm off of his back.

"Yep! Sweet of you to remember me Snowflake." The barely clothed wizard said as she put her hand on Mason's head and messed up his hair. "So are you taking a job together?"

"Yep!" Levy answered, cheerful as ever. "You wanna go with us?"

"Awh, that's very nice of you to offer. I'd love to." Cana started to fish something out of her pocket and it turned out to be a job flyer. "What do you know, I've got the perfect job for us! A village west of here is willing to pay 3 million jewel if we go deal with their Vulcan problem. That's a Million for each of us."

"One Million Jewel!" Levy exclaimed, not believing her ears. "I could buy an entire library with that kind of money!"

"Yep, and we already have the perfect team for the job.. You got the brains." Cana said Messing with Levy's hair. "He's got the brawn and I have the booze." She then pulled a large bottle of wine from seemingly nowhere.

WHAM! The guild hall doors swung open and two shadowy figures stood in the threshold. "Don't even think about it!" A raspy voice called back as a man with long dark hair, metal studs decorating his face and no eyebrows emerged, following him was a girl with short blue hair that didn't quite reach her shoulder and she wore a blue and white dress and hat. "I've had my eye on that Vulcan job all morning, I just had to track this one down before I took off. There's no way I'm letting you losers run off with my three million jewel.." The dark haired man growled.

"Gajeel…" Levy muttered, sounding worried.

"Oh yeah." Mason stepped forward, his eyes locked on Gajeel. "And who's gonna stop us?" Mason cracked his knuckles.

"Now he's enthusiastic, huh?" Cana sighed.

"Are you picking a fight with me?!" Gajeel roared back.

"Doubt it'd be much of a fight." Mason taunted. "But sure, let's see what the third strongest Dragon Slayer in fairy tail's got. Oh wait, I forgot Wendy joined a few days ago."

"Who are you calling third best!" Gajeel called back. "That's it, let's throw down!"

"Gajeel…" The woman standing behind him grabbed a hold of the Iron Dragon's shoulder to hold him back. "Rather than fight, why don't we all take this job together. Sounds like there's enough reward to go around." Juvia said calmly.

"That's a great idea Juvia!" Levy said as she shot the other girl a thumbs up.

"I'm not in love with splitting up my one Million jewel but I suppose I'll manage splitting that reward five ways." Cana said before her lips returned to her wine bottle.

"Fine, whatever…" Gajeel grunted seeing as he was already out numbered.

"Hey, I've seen you around the guild before. You're Gray's girlfriend or something right?" Mason asked as he studied Juvia's face. "Jane… I think…"

"G-G-Girlfriend…" Juvia's face went completely red and steam seemed to come out of her ears.

"Well it's settled!" Levy said with a smile that stretched ear to ear. "Let's get to work."

* * *

(Later)

"Ugh…." Levy groaned as she and her new team trudged on over grassy hills. "How much further?..."

"Not much further." Mason called back from behind.

"How would you know? Can you smell it or something?" Cana asked as she shook the last drops of her wine into her mouth.

"Yeah, and." Mason pointed out a plume of smoke that rose from behind a large hill.

"Oh…" Cana said, sounding embarrassed but she quickly shook it off. "Then what are we waiting for! Let's get moving!" CRASH, she threw her bottle down on the ground and charged forward. "Whooohoo!" She exclaimed as the rest of her team soon followed her lead.

"Wait!" Levy called back as the team passed her by. "My legs aren't as long as yours!"

The night had fallen before they arrived at the village but the team eventually reached their destination but what they found was nothing like what they were expecting. "Oh crap…" Cana muttered as she looked around the city. It was a wreck, half eaten fruit was scattered all over the ground, windows and doors had been broken down and an entire building had been set ablaze.

"Juvia.." Gajeel muttered as he watched the house burn.

"Right." The blue haired wizard nodded then with a wave of her arm a stream of water shot out and doused the roaring flames.

"A Vulcan did all this damage?" Levy said as she picked up a piece of broken glass off the ground.

"I've been thinking about that." Mason muttered as he put a door back on its hinges. "Vulcan's shouldn't be this far west, they don't live around here. Something weird is going on." SNIFF! SNIFF! "I got something." Mason announced as he started to follow his nose.

"I can't smell anything other than rotting fruit." Gajeel muttered as he and the rest of the Fairy Tail wizards followed behind Mason.

The team eventually came across a Vulcan chowing down on a piece of fruit. It was a large ape like monster with white fur and dark grey skin, black dots decorated the monkey's arm. "NOM! NOM! NOM! Mmmmm Fruit!"

"Is that the Vulcan?…" Levy asked as the five wizards hid behind a wall. "He doesn't look that different than any other Vulcan."

"It's weird..." Mason replied not providing any more detail.

SNIFF! SNIFF! "Woman…" The Vulcan got a whiff of the fairy tail wizards. "WOMAN!" The ape monster leapt up and began to charge towards Mason and his freinds.

" **IRON DRAGON CLUB!"** Gajeel's arm transformed into a metal bar and it rocketed into the Vulcan's jaw and knocked him out. "There I beat the Vulcan, when do we get paid."

"He's not a Vulcan…" Mason said as he walked over to the unconscious ape where he kneels down and phase's his hand into the Vulcan's chest, then a flash of light erupts from the monkey's body and it reverts him back to his original form, an older man with short grey hair and glasses. "He's a human."

"Ugh… My head.." The old man groaned as Mason helped him to his feet. "Are you the wizards who we called to help us thank god they sent a group of you."

"That's right we're Fairy Tail wizards." Levy said as she rushed to support the old man's other arm. "We're here to help."

"Tell us what happened." Mason said as he and Levy walked the man over to a bench and sat him down.

The man buried his face in his hands. "Where do I start? A week ago the circus came to town..."

* * *

(Flashback)

"Mommy what's that?" A small girl pointed towards a man in a colorful suit wearing a top hat and standing in front of a large cage that was covered by a tarp.

"I don't know." The girl's mother smiled down on her. "Let's go see."

"Come one come all! Come and experience the spectacles of the natural world!" The man with the top hat announced as he gestured to some of the circus employees who pulled down the large tarp. "Behold the world's largest Vulcan!" In the cage sat a massive Vulcan nearly three stories tall who sat scratching his head.

"BELCH!" A fat man carrying a bottle of wine let out a massive burp as he walked up to the Vulcan's cage. "Big monkey, so what? What does it even do?" The man said, clearly intoxicated at this point. "Do something monkey!" The man threw his bottle of wine at the Vulcan's back and it broke against his hide.

"Huuhh?" The vulcan turned around with angry eyes.

"HAHA!" The drunkard laughed and pointed at the ape. "Look, I made the monkey mad! HAHAHA!" The fat man was too busy laughing, he didn't notice the Vulcan reach out and grab the man by the arm. "Huh?" The man erupted in a flash of light that once faded revealed that the man had been turned into a miniature copy of the caged monkey.

"WOMAN!" The newly turned Vulcan cried out as he chased after the women in the vicinity.

* * *

(End of Flashback)

"Before too long every man in this village was turned into a Vulcan and they started kidnapping all of our women, they have them locked up somewhere but I can't remember where." The man finished and just as he did a low rumble could be heard through the small town. "Oh no, they're on their way. HIDE!" The old man took off running.

"Hide?!" Levy cried back concerned. "Hide where?!"

"WOMAN! WOMAN! WOMAN!" A clan of more than thirty Vulcans were soon all over Mason and his team. "WOMAN! WOMAN! WOMAN!" Three of them scooped up Levy.

"Huh? What?!" Levy cried out as the gang of apes started carrying her off. "WHY ME?!"

"Not really much of a woman." Cana said as she threw a fist full of magic cards at a group of white monkeys that erupted into multiple individual explosions. "Better her than me I guess."

"Why not me?..." Juvia sobbed as she washed away a group of the perverted apes.

"LEVY!" Gajeel called out as he knocked down a group of Vulcan in an attempt to retrieve his comrade, not noticing a Vulcan ready to pounce behind him.

"Gajeel!" Mason called out as he caught the Vulcan with his telekinesis, before slamming it into another group of Vulcan. "Weren't you listening, if they touch you then you'll turn into one of them. We gotta be careful."

"But Levy is getting away!" Gajeel called back as he took down another group of the monkeys.

"Good point! I guess it's time to get serious." Mason said as he flipped his hood back over his head. " **DRAGON SLAYER FORBIDDEN ART! POLTERGEIST!"** Thirty ghostly arms shot out from under Mason's dark cloak each of which grabbed a Vulcan by the throat, then Mason began to spin them around in circles before letting him go and sending the apes flying away.

Mason then retracted his arms and pulled his hood off. "There we go, now let's go get Levy." Mason said as he dusted himself off.

"You couldn't have done that sooner?" Cana said with a sigh.

"Umm I don't mean to put a damper in things." Juvia spoke up. "But how are we going to find Levy? Do you even know where she's been taken?"

"No…" Mason said before pointing towards a large big top tent that was lit up as if it was still running. "But I know where I'm gonna start looking."

* * *

(Later at the big top)

"WOMAN! WOMAN! WOMAN!" An even larger group Vulcan chanted as A massive, fat Vulcan slowly clapped along with the rhythm. SMACK! SMACK! SMACK!

"AGAIN! AGAIN!" The Massive Vulcan called down to Levy who was stuck standing next to the Large Apes foot.

"Fine…." Levy groaned before writing out the word "BANANA" in the air and suddenly a massive version of the giant yellow fruit appeared from thin air.

"YAAYY!" The Vulcan called out as he stuffed the massive banana, peel and all into his giant mouth. "AGAIN! AGAIN!" He called back, his mouth still partially full of food.

Meanwhile Mason, Gajeel, Cana and Juvia hid behind the opening to the tent as they looked for an opening. "Look over there…" Mason whispered as he pointed to a large cage behind the fat monkey that held the town's women from old ladies to young girls. With that Mason shut the tent door and turned to his friends.

"Okay here's the plan." The dragon slayer declared. "Before we can do anything about that giant monkey we need to get those girls out of that cage. I'm gonna sneak over to the cage and find a way to get them out of there. Cana, Juvia. I need you two to distract the monkeys until I can free those ladies, Gajeel I need you to go around to the other side of the tent and when I give the signal I need you to come and hit that monkey with everything you've got! Any questions?"

"Uh yeah. How exactly are we supposed to distract those monkeys?" Cana asked and Juvia nodded ferociously along with her.

"And what's this signal supposed to be?" Gajeel followed up with his arms crossed stubbornly.

Mason had the same answer for both questions. "Figure it out." And with that the white haired wizard vanished from thin air.

"Oh great, way to be helpful!" Cana called out to no one.

"Looks like you ladies are up first. Good luck." Gajeel said as he marched over to his post behind the big top.

"So what's your plan?" Juvia asked nervously.

"Oh I have an idea…" A mischievous grin formed on Cana's face.

* * *

(later)

"Yoo hoo!" Cana called out as she opened the tent door with a puff of magic smoke and out walked her and a slightly more embarrassed Juvia both of whom were wearing only bikinis. "Hey boys! Who's ready to get down with a couple of sexy ladies?"

"Forgive me Gray…" Juvia said to herself. "Huh?..." The Vulcans looked over at the two scantily clad girls for no more than a second before they turned back to watch Levy feed their king Banana's. "Somehow I'm even more embarrassed…"

"Uh guys…." Cana cried back as a bead of sweat dripped down her forehead. "I know card tricks… Hehe…."

Meanwhile Mason, still invisible, had made his way over to the cage and phased his way through the bars before he made himself visible again.

"WAAHH!" Some of the ladies shrieked at the sudden appearance of this stranger but Mason quickly SHUSHed them and got them quiet once again.

'Well my plan was to phase them out of here one at a time but it looks like my distraction has fallen through. Time to improvise.' Mason thought as he pointed his arm towards the the side of the cage and the tent. " **PHANTOM DRAGON SHOT!"** KABOOOMM! Mason unleashed a large energy blast that destroyed the side of the cage and burned a hole through the tent wall and the girls quickly started funneling out but the sound of the blast had notified the king Vulcan.

"HUH!" The big monkey turned to find all his captured women and the white haired man standing in the middle of the exit. "GRRR! ME CRUSH STUPID MAN!" The massive monkey aimed a gigantic fist at the preoccupied Mason but before he could strike WHAM! A long metal rod struck the monkey in the cheek and knocked him out.

"Hell of a signal.." Gajeel smiled as he retracted his metal rod back to his hand.

"Gajeel!" Levy called back as she ran away from the passed out ape. "You guys."

"No time for a reunion!" Cana called back as she was quickly swarmed by a group of angry Vulcan. " **CARD MAGIC! EXPLOSION!"** Cana threw down a handful of cards and all of them exploded, knocking out a large group of the Vulcan.

"Oh right time to fight! **SOLID SCRIPT! FIRE!** " Levy wrote down the word fire above her and a massive fireball rained down from above and blasted another group of apes.

" **WATER CYCLONE!"** Juvia whipped up a tornado of water that sucked up more of the Vulcan.

" **IRON DRAGON SWORD!"** Gajeel's hand changed into a spiked blade as he ran through dozens of angry apes.

" **PHANTOM DRAGON ROAR!"** Mason leapt into the air and spit out a spiral of purple phantoms that took out the remaining Vulcan and blew the tent up off the big top.

* * *

(Later)

"Haha!" Cana laughed as she walked down the dirt road carrying two large bags of money. "We did it! Three Million Jewel! This was fun you guys."

"Hmph! Speak for yourself." Gajeel grunted.

"Awh… You had fun, don't lie." Levy said cheerfully as she gave Gajeel a friendly punch on the shoulder. "I think we should make this a regular thing. What do you think?"

"It's fine with me." Juvia said but her face quickly went dark. "Unless you mean to use this "team" of ours to distract me from Gray so that bimbo friend of yours can seduce him!"

"No of course not." Levy said with a friendly smile. "But if we're gonna be a team then we're gonna need a kick ass name!"

"I'll let you users ride my coattails if you have to." Gajeel said with his arms still defiantly crossed. "We can call ourselves team Black Steel!"

"TEAM GRAY!" Juvia screamed out.

"Team Shadow Gear Neo!" Levy said and even accompanied it with a silly pose.

"Heh…" Mason cracked a small smile.

"What? Don't tell me you like Neo Shadow Gear." Cana elbowed Mason in the shoulder. "How about Team Happy Hour?"

"SUPER TEAM GRAY!" Juvia shouted back.

"ULTRA BLACK STEEL!" Gajeel yelled back.

Levy took a deep breath and replied with. "SUPER ULTRA NEO SHADOW GEAR!"

* * *

(End)


	26. Chapter 26

Chapter 25

" **METAL MAGIC! TITANIUM BODY!"** A large, muscular wizard cried out and soon his entire body transformed into titanium. The muscle bound metal then took a swing at Mason but his steel hand simply phased right through Mason's body. "Hey no fair!"

"When it comes to loser bandits like you, I don't tend to play fair!" Mason called out as his fist combusted with magic power. " **PHANTOM DRAGON VANISHING FIST!"** Mason slammed his fist into the metal man's stomach but he didn't so much as budge while mason's fist began to throb and glow red. "Owww…" Mason sobbed.

"Hehe… Who's the loser now?" The metal man chuckled as he grabbed Mason's arm before he could get away, he then proceeded to lift Mason up above him before slamming him back into the ground WHAAM! The metal man lifted Mason up once more before tossing the battered dragon slayer away.

"WWAAAHHH!" Mason cried out before SPLASH! His body was caught by a large ball of water. "Thanks…" Mason said before the water bubble popped and Mason fell to the ground. "Owww!... Where's Gajeel when you need him?..."

"He and Levy are supposed to be guarding the king's niece." Juvia called back as she washed away a large group of armed bandits.

" **THUNDERBOLTS FATE!"** Cana cried out as she threw down three of her magic cards before a chain of lightning magic zapped through another large group of bandits. "But does it really take two wizards to guard one little girl? Mason's right, we sure could use him down here. WAAHH!" A thick brown rope suddenly wrapped itself around Cana and began to drag her away. "What the hell is this?!"

"HAHA!" One of the bandit wizards, a short man wearing a bandana over his mouth and nose and with brown ropes for fingers, laughed out loud as his hand had transformed into the rope that had Cana trapped. "How do you fairy losers like my rope magic? Now no sudden moves, if either of you so much as flinch I'll crush every bone in her body like so." The evil wizard smirked as the ropes around Cana began to tighten.

"AAAAHHHH!" Cana cried out in pain.

* * *

(Meanwhile with Levy and Gajeel)

"Do you have any three's?" Levy asked as she and the King's Niece played a dull game of Go Fish while sitting in the girls royal carriage.

"Go fish." The young girl called back prompting Levy to draw a card and making her face go sour…

"THIS FREAKING SUCKS!" Gajeel roared as he was stuck in the dull carriage with them.

* * *

(Back with Mason)

"Juvia switch with me?.." Mason muttered before he turned invisible

"Huh? What do you mean?" Juvia asked but Mason was already gone.

"WOAH! That guy just vanished!" The ropes wizard cried out in fear. Mason then appeared directly next to Cana, his cloak had already transformed into its sword mode at that point and he used it to slice through the ropes around Cana. "AAAAHHHH! My hands!" The rope wizard cried as he retracted his ropes back into his fingers.

"Are you alright?" Mason asked as he lifted Cana up and lightly shook the injured girl.

"Huh…" Cana opened her eyes and looked up to find the white haired mage holding her rather closely, the card wizard's face turned a light shade of red. "Uh yeah, whatever! I'm fine… You can put me down now…."

"Oh!" Mason blushed as well, not fully realizing until that point the implications of what he was doing. He quickly put his guild mate down. "Haha… My bad…"

"Jeez you two…" Juvia pouted as she surrounded the metal man with a water bubble and his body began to rust. "This is a job you guys! Quit flirting!"

"WE'RE NOT FLIRTING!" They both yelled back in unison, Mason being too busy to notice a small brown rope wrap around his leg. "Huh?" The dragon slayer muttered as he was quickly dragged away from the other two.

"Haha! You arrogant wizards, you thought you were safe didn't you? You're not out of the woods yet!" The rope mage taunted as he dragged Mason across the forest floor. "Now to take your leg! HAHAAHAHAHAHA! Huh?" The next thing the rope wizard knew he was levitating a few inches of the ground, his body glowing with purple magic. "What the?" WHAM! The small wizard was slammed face first down into the ground and knocked unconscious.

"That was annoying." Mason groaned as he untangled the rope around his ankle before he stood up and observed the area around him and his friends. Defeated bandits littered the ground, some soaked, some burnt, some beaten and bruised but none of them were getting up anytime soon. "So much for the thieves guild Shadow Hand. I'll be honest they were actually tougher than I thought but I'd call this another job well done."

"Not so fast!" A raspy voiced hissed from deeper in the woods. Slowly a man decorated with black robes with long silver hair and a skull shaped mask emerged from the woods. "I knew I shouldn't have trusted those weak idiots with a job this important but none of that matters now. Now you face the Master of the Shadow Hand guild as well as its most powerful member! Shadow Hand Billy himself! **SHADOW MAKE SWORD!** " a long blade of smokey black magic appeared in billies hand before he charged the Fairy Tail wizards.

"Never heard of you…" Mason muttered as he once again drew his katana once more, this time channeling his own Magic power into the blade. KLANG! The two swords met and a stalemate was quickly formed.

"HAH! Looks like we're equals in terms of magic power! Let's see which of us is more skilled when it comes to blade work!" Billy began to push his body weight forward into his strike but Mason didn't budge.

"I'm getting pretty sick of this…" Mason groaned. "Ladies? Wanna help me out."

"Gladly!" Juvia said as both she and Cana leapt into action. " **WATER SLICER!"** Juvia called out then with a wave of her hand blades of water began to fly towards Billy.

" **SUMMONED LIGHTNING!"** Cana waved three cards forward and a mint green magic circle was formed in front of her and multiple blasts of magic energy fired forward at Billy.

The two blasts met in the middle and the collision created a large explosion with Shadow Hand Billy at its center KAABOOOM! The explosion of magic quickly rendered the Bandit Master unconscious and Mason returned his sword to its cloak form. "I think we're done here and I'm ready for a break…"

* * *

(Later, Balsam Village Hot Spring)

SPLASH! "Awh…." Mason let out a pleased sigh as he slowly stepped into the hot bath water. "I've never been to a hot spring before but now I'm starting to understand why they're so popular. Good idea Gajeel."

"Thanks…" A satisfied looking Gajeel answered as he let himself sink into the water. "Nothing beats a good warm bath after a hard day of work. I gotta make sure to thank Erza for telling me about this place and it's not that far from home base with all that money we've made on these last couple of jobs, you'll know where to find me when I'm not around the guild hall."

"I certainly won't complain about a hot bath every once and a while but there is something I can complain about." Mason pointed towards his fellow Dragon slayer. "Gajeel where the hell's your towel?"

"Hmph! You don't expect me to enjoy a good bath with a lame towel in the way!" Gajeel argued back. "We're both dudes so get over it will you!"

"That's gross Gajeel!" Levy called back from the other side of the bamboo wall that separates the girls and boys side of the bath. "Remind me never to come to another bathhouse with you again! Am I right Juvia."

"This water is so nice…." Juvia sighed as she literally began to melt into the steamy water. "I wonder why I neglected to try it out the last time I was here. I can't wait to bring my darling Gray back here, just the two of us…" Juvia mumbled on as she started fantasizing.

"Yeah! Like I'd ever invite either of you two Idiots back here with me!" Gajeel roared back. "Jeez, I work hard all day and I come here to relax but now I got all of y'all at my neck cause I don't wanna wear a stupid towel!"

"C'mon Gajeel we really didn't do much today. Juvia, Mason and Cana did all the fighting today…" Levy pointed out getting Gajeel to blush with embarrassment.

"DON'T REMIND ME!" Gajeel roared angrily, getting levy to chuckle.

"Speaking of Cana…" Juvia said as she reformed herself from the bath water. "Just where is she?"

"You mean she's not over there with you two?" Mason said as he sat up in the bath water. Meanwhile a small twinkle could be seen shining from the door to the men's bath.

"Hey boys.." All of a sudden Cana came out through the threshold into the Mens section of the open air bath wearing a towel to cover her body but it was clear nothing was on underneath her face was also quite rosey red indicating intoxication.

"HYAAHHH!" Gajeel shrieked almost like a girl before he quickly reached down to cover up his "Man parts". "What the hell are you doing here?! Go back over to your side!"

SPLASH! Cana ignored Gajeel's orders and hopped into the steamy warm water, landing on Mason's lap. "What are you doing?" Mason growled back as he tried to avoid starring…

"Hehe…" Cana chuckled as she leaned in closer, pressing herself even more against the Dragon Slayer. "You wanna know something? When you saved me from that rope guy earlier, it was actually pretty cool." The chocolate haired girl whispered softly into Mason's ear and his face quickly went red. "I wanted to pay you back so I got to thinking and figured I'd offer you a trade. I'll let you take of my towel if I get to take your's off too. Hehe…"

"Cana, you're drunk." Mason declared as he pushed the intoxicated wizard off of him.

"Yeah, there was like a huge bottle of booze in our room, so what? I'm usually drunk." Cana said as she began to slide her finger down Mason's torso, aiming for the rim of Mason's towel but she stopped a good bit short. "Huh? There's a weird scar just below your chest? Did you get stabbed?"

"No…" Mason said as he pushed Cana totally off of him. "That's where they put the lacrima."

"Lacrima?" Levy asked from behind the bamboo wall. "So your power comes from a lacrima like Laxus."

"Didn't you tell me you were raised by a dragon?" Gajeel growled.

"I was raised by a dragon, they didn't put the lacrima in till just over two years ago." Mason explained as he rubbed his scar with a bit of embarrassment. "It was a gift from God Serena…"

"God Serena! You mean the most powerful wizard on the continent. The top ranked Wizard Saint God Serena?!" Levy began to freak out and started to spew information. "He gave you a lacrima and put it in your chest?!"

"It really is a long story…" Mason said as he tried to end the conversation.

"We aren't going anywhere…" Gajeel said bluntly.

"Story! Story! Story!" Cana chanted as she began floating around on her back.

"Fine…" Mason groaned before beginning his story. "If you're that familiar with the guy then you must know that not only is he the most powerful wizard saint but he's also one of the youngest and I was there in the Era when he was named as one of the four gods. On that same day I was supposed to have a sparring match with my friend Julia who is a Second Generation Dragon Slayer like laxus, the winner would be promoted to the status of captain but of course it was to be postponed for Serena's ceremony but when he heard we were both dragon slayers he insisted we have our battle and that he be the judge."

* * *

(Flashback)

"You ready, spooky?!" Julia called out, a large smile alreadyplastered on her face before the battle had even begun.

Mason transformed his cloak into a large metal rod which he threw to the side of the battle field. "Just promise me you won't go crying when I whoop you."

"My GODness. Isn't this HEAVENly?" The eccentric, brown haired wizard saint said as he watched down from a high perch, next to him stood Brosnan and Tyson. "A battle between the first and second generations of Dragon Slayer."

"Um God Serena sir…" Tyson timidly spoke up. "We could probably get you a seat much closer to the fight, considering you're the referee and only audience."

"I'm fine my muscular friend. I can see fine from up here. Besides, I prefer to look down on others anyway." God serena said before whistling down to the combatants.

Brosnan rolled her eyes. "I'm going down stairs." The light mage said as she marched off the elevated platform.

"Excuse me Mr Soldier." God Serena elegantly tapped Tyson on the shoulder even though the older mage had clearly heard him. "Can you do me a favor and tell me which of the two is stronger, I'd hate to accidentally find myself rooting for a loser."

"Oh, uh well lets see…" Tyson found himself stumbling over his words, not expecting such a question. "Well when it comes to raw power I believe young Julia would have the advantage but Mason is a more skilled fighter. It's really hard to say."

"So it's anyone's fight? Good, this should be entertaining." God Serena said with a smile before whistling down to the battle field. "You may begin!"

"Bout time! **PLASMA DRAGON ROAR!** " Julia started off firing a large green laser beam from her mouth directly at Mason.

" **PHANTOM DRAGON'S BARRIER!"** Mason threw up a wall of magic power that put a stop to Julia's attack. "Seriously, I could see that coming from a mile away!"

" **PLASMA DRAGON SWORDS!"** Blades of green energy sprouted from Julia's elbows as she leapt into the air above Mason's shield and began to spin like a top armed with Laser blades but before she could land, Mason disappeared. "Huh? Coward! Quit hiding."

"Careful what you wish for." Mason's disembodied voice echoed around the battlefield before he reappeared to the Girls left, glowing fist at the ready. " **PHANTOM DRAGON'S VANISHING FIST!"** Mason punched the girl dead in the cheek, knocking her backwards.

"Phantom Magic? What fun!" Serena marveled at Mason's skill in battle.

"Grrrr…." Julia growled as she slid backwards. " **PLASMA DRAGON SLICER!"** Julia made an X with her arms before sending out two blades of plasma. Mason created another energy barrier but it only managed to stop one of the slashes and the other hit dead on.

"GAAAHHH!" Mason cried out before aiming one of his hands at Julia. " **PHANTOM DRAGON SHOT!"**

" **PLASMA DRAGON ARROW!"** Julia and Mason both fire a blast of magic energy at the other and the two attacks collide with each other but Julia's was large and over powered Mason's attack KABOOM! A large explosion erupted on the battlefield. "Haha!" Julia laughed, feeling her attack had come out on top. "Ready to give up yet?"

While she was busy taunting, Mason appeared behind Julia and placed both hands against her back. " **PHANTOM DRAGON CANNON!"** Mason unleashed a massive blast of magic power that completely encompassed Julia's body and the force of the blast sent her flying. "Ready to give up yet?" Mason taunted back.

* * *

(Flashback paused)

"So then I readied my phantom dragon roar." Mason said, puffing up his cheeks for demonstration.

"Yeah, yeah, yeah!" Gajeel interrupted. "The two of you fought, we got it. Skip this part!"

"Skip it?" Mason said, sounding disappointed. "But I…."

"Mason…" Levy called back from over the Bamboo wall. "We can kinda already guess who one…"

"Fine!" Mason gave in. "I'll skip to the end…"

* * *

(Flashback resumed)

" **DRAGON SLAYER SECRET ART!"** Mason called out as a large magic circle formed beneath his feet.

"Dragon slayer secret what?" Julia said as she stood in awe of the magic power Mason was gathering around him.

" **CURSED SOUL! TEN THOUSAND PHANTOMS!"** A massive swarm of purple ghost like magic blasts erupted from around Mason's body and all of them converged on Julia and began to explode around her. BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! KABOOOMM!

After the attack ended, Julia was still standing but just barely. Her legs were wobbling and they eventually gave way causing her to fall on her butt. "I surrender…." She muttered before losing consciousness.

"Ugh…" Mason groaned, falling to his butt as well but even though he was covered in bumps, bruises and burns he remained conscious. CLAP! CLAP! CLAP!

The sound of slow clapping could be heard as God Serena began to approach Mason on the battlefield. "Bravo, excellent battle good sir." The wizard saint offered Mason a hand up. "Congratulations on your promotion to captain."

"G-God Serena…" Mason happily took the hand of the strongest mage on the continent and was soon back on his feet. "Th-Thank you sir…"

"You impressed me out there young man." God Seren said, even though he himself was not THAT much older than Mason. "Watching your fight it was clear to see that even though your opponent held the advantage when it came to total magic power your superiority as a fighter shined through and led you to victory! But that got me thinking. Do you know what you would get if you combined the instincts of a First Generation Dragon Slayer and the power of the second generation?"

"Uh no sir…." Mason replied, confused by just what first and second generation meant.

"You'd get the most powerful Dragon Slayer on the planet wouldn't you." Serena said, enthralled with his own idea. "So, phantom dragon. I'll leave you with a parting gift, a gift from a GOD if you will." Serena fished a palm sized purple stone out from his robes. "A genuine phantom dragon lacrima. Once you've gotten the hang of this thing come and find me and we'll see what the ultimate Dragon Slayer can do."

* * *

(End of flashback)

"Of course the council loved the idea and the next day I had the lacrima installed, I never saw Serena again and here we are now. I never wanted to take that lacrima, its always felt like cheating. Like using a power I Never earned." With that Mason's story was finished.

"Ultimate Dragon Slayer huh?" Gajeel asked before transforming his arm into its club form. "Wanna test that theory."

"I think it's time to get out…" Mason groaned and seemingly on cue Cana sat back up.

The brown haired wizard looked back and forth for a moment before her face turned green and her cheeks puffed up. "BLAAHHHGG!"

"Yep definitely time to get out!" Gajeel sprinted out of the bath, keeping his hands firmly between his legs.

"I don't feel so good…" Cana groaned.

"I know. Okay, Here we go." Mason lifted Cana up on his shoulder and carried her out of the bath, but her face suddenly went green again. "Gross!"

* * *

(Days later)

"Oh c'mon there totally getting it on…" Cana said as she and Mason were returning to the guild after completing another job. "Why else would they always partner up together?"

"That doesn't mean anything. We partner up together more often than they do." Mason pointed out. "Besides I'm pretty sure she's dating Jet."

"You're an idiot. The only reason I partner up with you is because you're willing to do all the work most of the time and you still split the reward." Cana said as she pulled a small flask out of her back pocket. "Plus you don't get all pissy when I drink on the job."

"OUTTA MY WAY!" Natsu screamed as he blasted past the two returning, knocking Cana's flask out of her hand in the process.

"HEY!" Cana tried to call back but Natsu was already out of range of her voice.

"Sorry about that." Wendy bowed politely. "Natsu wait for us!" The young wizard called out as she, followed by Carla and Happy chased after the pink haired dragon slayer.

"Why are those four in such a hurry." Cana asked as she picked up her empty flask.

"I don't know… Let's find out." The two wizards entered guild hall and Mason made his way over to the bar. "Hey Mira, do you know why Natsu was in such a hurry to get out of here?"

"Oh, I figured he'd tell you." Mira said with a smile. "According to Gray, someone spotted a Dragon around here and Natsu went to go track down who it was."

"A Dragon!?..."

* * *

(End)


	27. Chapter 27

Chapter 26

"A Dragon…. What is he stupid?" Mason sighed as he took a seat at the local bar. "Well if that's all then I guess it's nothing to worry about. Hey Mira can I get something to eat please, I'm starved."

"Oh… Uh, ok…" Mirajane commented, still smiling as a bead of sweat dripped down her forehead. "I'll be honest I wasn't expecting you to take the news so lightly."

"What? You thought I'd be mad or something." Mason asked as Cana took the stool next to him.

"More like we thought you'd be chasing after them by now." Cana said with a smirk before she brought a bottle of wine to her lips. "Don't you wanna go track down your dragon dad too?"

"My dad is more than a hundred feet long and more powerful than any wizard alive." Mason said as Mirajane put down a plate of food in front of him. "There's no cage that can hold him and he's fast enough to fly around the world in the time it takes you to walk from your house to the guild and he knows what I smell like. If my dad ever wanted to see me again, then there's not a lot anyone could do to stop him. I gave up on dragon chasing years ago."

"That's what I said!" Gajeel roared as he made his way over to his teammates. "Get a bunch of idiots together and they'll tell you all about the dragons they've seen. That's just what stupid people do when they have nothing else to talk about."

"I hear ya." Cana added with a nod. "Spend enough time at any seaside bar and eventually all you'll hear is stories about dragons or sea monsters but do you really think your dad is out there and he just chooses not to find you."

"There's a whole lot about Dragons that even I don't know but I do know that all the time I knew Buruut he was an old Dragon. His skin was scared and he wore a mask of bones to cover up his wrinkles, he spoke very slowly and he didn't like to move around much." Mason explained as he finished his meal. "I don't know how long Dragons lived but I can tell you Buruut wasn't gonna be around much longer so if anything he's either dead or dying and I'm sure he didn't want me to be there when it happened." Gajeel remained silent but made a face that clearly communicated sadness and Cana reached out and put her hand on Mason's shoulder.

"Ahem!" Mirajane faked a cough and got the three of them to look her way. "You and Gajeel may have given up on tracking down your dragons but Natsu hasn't. Igneel means a lot to him and he's willing to go to the ends of the earth if that means he'll find him so I wouldn't go about talking like that in front of him."

"Yeah…" Mason looked back apologetically. "I can't say that I don't understand what he means…"

* * *

(Flashback, small farming town of Olivevine in the Stella country)

"So we're to arrest a fruit thief?" A young girl with light brown, wearing a metal breastplate with the Magic Council symbol stamped on the front and a much taller more muscular wizard with a spike black beard and short dark hair dressed in rune knight robes walked down the muddy streets of a small farming down as a weak sprinkle rained down on top of them. "Is that a job for guild wizards?"

"Reports say that this thief uses magic. There are plenty of towns like this who don't have a local guild and can't afford to make a request and when they have issues dealing with wizards they call us. That's why I brought you with me on this one, it's another part of the job you should familiarize yourself with." The older wizard said as they approached a large clearly abadoned house that had become weathered and looked to be falling apart. "Well the local fruit vendors said they saw a couple apples levitate into this house so this is where we'll start. Brosnan would you care to provide a little light."

"Sure!" The young girl said, excited to use her magic. Her eyes began to glow golden and became a suitable flashlight as the two entered the rotten building. "So what do we do when we find the guy? Beat him up?"

"Hmmm… We'll see. If this wizard is just stealing fruit then I doubt they're very malicious, either that or they're not very powerful." The large wizard said as he searched the house when he saw a small shadowy ball dart across the floor. "What was that?"

"I got it!" The young girl said as she leapt forward, her arm transforming with a flash of light into a large metal gauntlet.

"Brosnan! NO!" The large muscular wizard tried to reach out and stop the young girl but he was too late. Brosnan prepared to punch the shadowy ball but the strange object looked up and two glowing red eyes shined back at the council wizards before it vanished. "Invisibility?"

"Huh?" Brosnan muttered as her fist went on to hit nothing. "Where'd it go?"

"Leave me alone!" The voice of a young boy called out as rotten wood and furniture began to float in the air before they were hurled at the two rune knights. The little brosnan blasted the flying objects out of the sky and her partner simply punched them to splinters.

"Telekinesis too? What kind of magic is it using?" The muscular mage asked as he continued to destroy the wooden objects.

"It doesn't matter.." The small brunette wizard said as she began to charge up another magic blast. "My magic is stronger! **BEAUTIFUL SHOT!** " The young girl fired a large blast of golden magic from both eyes.

"Woah! **PHANTOM DRAGON CANNON!** " The shadowy figured extended two pale arms and a large magic circle appeared in front of his hands and out fired a large blast of purple magic. The two attacks collided with a BOOOMMM! A large explosion of Magic power erupted in the dark building, knocking all the wizards to the ground. The large wizard was the first to stand up and he went over to grab the small shadowy ball which just turned out to be a young boy wearing a long, black, hooded cloak. "Hey! Let go of me." The child tried to punch the massive rune knight but his arms weren't long enough and he simply swung back and forth. "How come you can touch me?"

"You're out of magic power…" The large wizard said as he pulled the hood off the young boys head and a large mop of messy white hair spilled out. "So calm down I'm just gonna ask you a few questions like what's your name? Why are you stealing food in this village?"

"My name's Mason…" The young boy said before the Rune knight dropped him. "Ooff!" Mason picked himself up and dusted himself off. "I stole food cause I'm hungry…. Don't worry I'm done stealing I gotta keep moving."

"Moving? Where are you going?" The large wizard asked before he looked at the state of the child's clothing and thought of a better question. "Where did you come from?"

"West… Akane beach… I guess?" Mason said.

"You walked all the way from Fiore? That's more than 200 miles!" The large wizard exclaimed but the white haired boy didn't seem fazed by the distance. "I'm sorry, where are my manners. My name is Tyson Hammer and this is Brosnan." Tyson gestured to the young brunette wizard. "How long have you been walking and what is your destination?"

"Fourteen months." Mason lifted up one of the wooden planks in the rotting house and picked up a small bag containing a few apples and a small map. "I can't tell you where I'm going."

"Why not!" Brosnan asked with a little less tact than Tyson had displayed up to that point. "And if you don't not have any money why not join a Magic Guild, I saw you do magic! Why not work instead of stealing?!"

"I can't join a guild! They would just get in the way!" Mason argued back. "And I can't tell you where I'm going cause I'll only know it when I get there."

"So you're searching for someone." Tyson resumed, raising an eyebrow. "Your parents?"

"I don't have to tell you anything?" Mason said as he threw his small bag over his shoulder and made his way towards.

Tyson had to think fast not wanting the boy to leave just yet. "Your magic!" Tyson called out getting Mason to stop before he could open the door. "Your magic is interesting before, I don't think I've ever seen anything quite like it. What do you call it?"

"I'm a Dragon Slayer." Mason responded. "I use Phantom Dragon Slayer magic…"

"Dragon slayer huh? So this parent you're looking for is a Dragon." Tyson pointed out getting the young boys eyes to widen. Brosnan opened her mouth to say something but Tyson quickly but his hand over it.

"How did you know?.." Mason asked with a suspicious voice.

"Well Dragon Slayer Magic is a very rare lost magic and according to council records it can only be taught by Dragons. So let's call it an educated guess." Tyson knelt down and placed his hand on the young Dragon Slayers shoulder. "How about you come with us, we'll get a meal in your belly and then we can help you find your Dragon? What do you say?"

Mason was silent for a moment but soon realized he couldn't pass up that offer. "Sure…"

* * *

(End of Flashback)

"Yeah I guess I get it but one day even Natsu is gonna have to grow up." Mason said with a sigh but thats when he noticed Gray Fullbuster make his way towards the door. "Where are you going?"

"Hmmmph!" Gray grunted as he pushed open the large guild hall door. "I'm going out!" Slam!

"Hey Mirajane. You said that Gray was the one who told Natsu about the Dragon right?" Mason asked and Mirajane responded with a confident nod. "Now that's interesting…" Mason smirked. "You guys wanna see what this all is about?"

"Why?" Gajeel asked with a glare.

"I've got nothing better to do.." Mason said as he hopped out of his bar stool. "So am I going alone?"

"No I'll go with you." Cana got up and lifted another large bottle of wine up into the air and smiled. "As long as you let me take this with me?"

"Sure, let's go!" Mason said as the two reckless wizards ran out the door together.

"Are they going off alone again?" Levy asked as she walked up next to Gajeel. "You don't think those two… You know?"

"Oh absolutely.." Gajeel smirked.

* * *

(Later that night in the desert)

"Hey Mason?" Cana asked as she shook the last bits of her wine onto her tongue as the two young wizards walked across the sandy ground. "Why don't you have a flying cat? Natsu and Wendy both have one and they're Dragon Slayers…"

"I'm allergic to cats." Mason admitted. "They give me headaches and make me sneeze and you don't need to have a flying cat to be a Dragon Slayer, Gajeel doesn't have a cat and neither does Laxus." SNIFF! SNIFF! Mason smelled the air. "Damn it I'm losing Gray. If we hadn't stopped at that liquor store so you could get a refill we'd probably be right on his tail."

"HIC! Hey-Hey Mason! Do you like Erza?" Cana asked as she began to lean on Mason for support. "You've known her a long time right? I bet if you two had babies that they'd look like Natsu."

"Hey Cana. Are you drunk?" Mason looked back at the dark haired girl with annoyed eyes. When Mason looked forward again he saw a strange hooded figure who had not been there before. "Who's this?"

"Probably some desert hobo…. Hey! You think he's got any booze?" Cana asked, her eyes sparkling with enthusiasm. Just then a second hooded figure appeared out of nowhere.

"I don't like this…" Mason mumbled to himself. "Whatever they are, they don't smell like people." Mason and Cana carefully approached the two strangers until they were standing right in front of the cloaked creatures. "What the hell…" Mason said as he peaked under the hood to see a long crocodile like head.

"RAAAHGGG!" The strange creature roared as it ripped its hood off its body revealing its massive scaly body to the night sky. The scaly creature's arm began to glow purple and he pointed it towards Mason and fired a blast of purple magic.

"WOAH!" Mason exclaimed as he leapt out of the way of the incoming energy blast. His eyes narrowed as he watched the purple magic fly by him. "Hey, is that?"

"What the heck!" Cana roared as the other monster threw off its robes and revealed it had a blue bikini top over its torso that matched the one Cana wore. Then two faceless cards appeared in the monsters hand both of which began to glow yellow. The creature threw the blank cards and they transformed into twin fireballs that Cana barely managed to dodge. "Woah! What the hell! That's my magic!"

"Copy magic…" Mason muttered as the lizard man appeared behind him and fired a blast into his back BAM! "Agh!" Mason turned around but when he did the monster had disappeared. "Well that's annoying…" SMACK! The lizard creature appeared to Mason's left and smacked him in the cheek. "Grrr… That's it!" Mason's hands began to glow with magic power. "Lets go!"

"GAH! WOAH!" Cana cried out as she dodged magic cards before retailianting with some of her own. " **FIRE!"** Cana's cards erupted into flames but the Lizardman countered with cards that were surrounded by frost and when the two attacks collided a large cloud of steam exploded around them.

"GAAHHH!" Mason roared as he grabbed the reptiles hand before it could punch him, Mason looked down at the lizards glowing hand and licked his lips. "Not the best idea to copy my magic, considering I'm a Dragon Slayer." Mason opened wide and bit down on the lizardman's hand until CRUNCH! Mason ripped the glowing hand off of the creatures body leaving exposed wires and dripping oil, Mason then swallowed the magic covered hand before blasting the lizard to smithereens BAM!. "Mmm crunchy… Looks like you're artificial but who would make such a freaky lizard robot with copy magic. Something weird is going on…"

"AAAAHHH!" Cana cried out as a wave of razor sharp cards sliced through her, cutting off her bikini top and the brunette wizard was quick to cover herself with her hands. "AAHH! What the hell!" She shrieked. KABAM! The Lizard Man exploded in a large purple blast before a thick black cloak fell onto her back.

"It's polyfiber, put some magic in it and it'll change into whatever you need it to be." Mason said now wearing a sleeveless white shirt with a black fairy tail guild mark on the back. Cana did as Mason said and applied a bit of Magic power and the cloak transformed into another bikini top, a black one this time. "Listen up." Mason said as he picked up a piece of the lizard man and smelled it. "Something weird is going on here I need you to go back to the guild hall and warn people about what's going on. I'm gonna find out just what is going on with these weird lizard guys."

"No way, I'm not going anywhere." Cana said, determined to stand her ground. "What happens when you find where these things are being made and a hundred lizard men show up and gang up on you. You need the back up!" When Cana finished making her point Mason simply became invisible before reappearing directly behind her.

"It's a stealth mission." Mason explained, getting Cana to jump and making her sweat. "Strictly recon. I'm gonna go in and go out and no one will even know I'm there. Then I'll go back, we'll get Levy, Gajeel and Juvia and take those suckers out."

"Haaahhh…." The dark haired girl sighed. "Fine! But you better not die you hear me!" With that Cana took off and sprinted towards the guild hall.

"Alright." SNAP! Mason cracked his knuckles in place before retrieving the scent. SNIFF! SNIFF! "Got it! Well Mason, looks like you're on your own again. Time to go to work!"

* * *

(End/ Author's Notes)

Hey guys! Shorter chapter this week. I'm gonna go ahead and speed through filler arcs like this rather than skipping them because I think they do still have something of value but this arc will consist of this chapter and the next one then we're on to Edolas. I also wanna thank all those who have come to favorite and follow this story recently, when I see people enjoying what I write it makes me wanna right more! It would also mean the world to me if those of you who like this story leave me a review explaining just what you like about it so I can expand on that but also tell me what I can do better so I can fix those things. Pleeeeeeaaaassssseee REVIEW! But you don't have to if you don't wanna just knowing yall read this makes me happy. Till next time! BYE ;)


	28. Chapter 28

Chapter 27

SNIFF! SNIFF! Mason followed his nose and eventually came across an empty patch of desert before taking another whiff. SNIFF! "Talk about suspicious…" SNIFF! SNIFF! "Yep this place reeks of those weird lizard guys and Natsu?!" SNIFF! SNIFF! "Gray and Wendy are here too as well as someone else…And…" SNIFF! SNIFF! "ACHOO!... Happy…." Mason said as he wiped his nose.

"Hey it's you!" Lucy called out as she and Erza ran towards Mason. "It's good to see a familiar face out here! Are you looking for Natsu too?"

"Huh? Didn't Cana explain why I'm out here, didn't she send you two as back up." Mason asked and the two girls looked back at each other not really sure what Mason was talking about. "Haaahhh…" The Dragon slayer sighed. "Anyway, I guess you could say I'm looking for Natsu and Gray but there's also something weird going on and my nose led me here."

"The lizardmen? I've fought one as well." Erza said and Mason answered her with a strong nod. "I agree something suspicious is going on and this is where we'll find our answers.."

"Here?" Lucy asked. "In the middle of the desert?" A bead of sweat dripped down the blonde wizards forehead.

"Natsu is somewhere around here. Gray and Wendy too. The longer we stay here the stronger their smells become." Mason explained.

"Then there's only one explanation! They're underground!" Erza declared as she transformed into a miner's uniform complete with a massive pickaxe that she quickly began to slam into the ground.

"Ugh! Seriously!" Lucy groaned. "I really doubt that's the case."

"Wait.." Mason put a hand on Erza's shoulder and got her to stop. "This way will be faster!" Mason pointed both hands towards the ground and created a large Magic Circle. " **PHANTOM DRAGON CANNON!"** Mason blasted a deep hole in the desert ground but yielded no underground fortress. "Guess I picked the wrong spot, I should probably try somewhere else."

"WAIT!" Erza called out as she stuck a hand out in front of Mason as three Magic circles opened up on the ground and out popped three more lizardmen. "We have company…"

" **PHANTOM DRAGON STRIKE!"** Mason called out and his foot began to glow purple, just then he lunged at one of the Lizardmen but before he could the scaly foe disappeared and he crashed into the ground. "Gaah! That's starting to get old really quick!" Mason turned around to find a large energy blast headed his way and the dragon slayer licked his lips with anticipation. "FWOOOOSSHHH!" Mason sucked up the enemy's attack before his body surged with Magic power. "I thought I told you that you wouldn't be able to beat me with my own magic!"

Mason fired back at the scaly soldier but the lizardman opened its mouth as well and sucked up Mason's attack. "FWOOOOSSHHH!"

"Oh… Crap!..." Mason muttered before the lizardman lunged forward. "YAAAHHH!" Mason leapt behind the and wrapped his arm around the monster's jaw and held it tight. "If you can't open your mouth then you can't eat my magic!" Mason lifted his other hand up in the air and it began to glow with magic power. "See ya later scaly!" But before Mason could strike WHAM! The lizard smacked Mason in the stomach.

"GAAAHHH!" Mason got knocked away by the powerful machine, but he manage to catch himself before he fell on the ground. "Grrr! FINE!" Mason growled as magic power exploded around him. "If you wanna eat my magic then that's fine! HAVE SOME! **PHANTOM DRAGON CANNON!** " The Lizard man began to eat Mason's magic attack but there was a lot more magic power than expected and the machine began to swell until BOOOOMMMM! The lizard man exploded and at the same time Erza and Lucy were finishing up their respective opponents but just then a strange voice called out to all three wizards.

"Oh you're all very powerful wizards! Yes! Yes! Yes! You destroyed my Lizard men!" The mysterious voice said as out of nowhere and then suddenly a massive grey dragon with a round crimson lacrima at its chest appeared from thin air. "But it doesn't matter how strong any of you are anymore because there's not a wizard alive who can hold a candle to my salamander powered Dragonoid!"

"Salamander powered?..." Lucy asked in a nervous mutter.

"What the hell is happening.." Mason asked as he had to rub his eyes in disbelief. "Who is that voice? And why is it coming from some fat robot dragon thing!"

"Her name is Daphne!" Happy cried out as he along with Carla and Wendy flew down to meet up with the others. "She and Gray tricked Natsu and trapped him in that freaky lacrima!" Happy pointed at the Dragon's chest. "She wants to use him like a battery to power her Dragon Robot!"

"Woah! Did you just say Gray was helping her! Like our Gray!" Lucy began to panic.

Mason then stepped forward, a cocky smile plastered on the young Dragon Slayer's face. "So you're out here trying to create this huge Dragon thing and those lizard guys were what? A side project?"

"Yes! Yes! Yes! Bingo! You got it! My lizard men were a fine experiment but they were nothing compared to my true vision! All my years of hard work has finally paid off! My true artificial DRAGONOID!" Daphne continued to boast.

"Well that's just too bad isn't it." Mason smirked. "You put all that work into building this Dragon Wannabe and right off the bat you end up face to face with a Dragon Slayer! I would eject myself if I were you because it's time to go Dragon Hunting!" Mason put both hands out together in front of him and began to gather magic power. " **PHANTOM DRAGON CANNON!"**

"Dragon Slayer? Oh no, no. That won't do at all." Daphne said before a creepy grin formed on her face. "Gray! I could use your assistance!" She called out and a wall of ice formed in front of the Dragonoid, shielding the machine from Mason's blast and Gray stood alone on the mountain of ice looking down on his guild members.

"Wow, I forgot how weak you all are…" Gray taunted from his mountain of ice. "If you can't destroy my ice wall how do you expect to beat the Dragonoid! It's pathetic!"

"No… Gray…" Lucy muttered as she clutched her arm close to her chest.

"You better have a good reason for betraying your friends like this!" Erza called back.

"I'm sorry!" Grey looked back at Lucy and Erza with vicious eyes. "I don't have a reason!"

"Well as fun as all this has been, it's time for me to take my leave!" Daphne announced as her mechanical Dragon's wings started to glow and it began to flap them in preparation for take off. "Gray, you stay here and make sure your friends don't cause anymore trouble!"

WHAM! " **VANISHING FIST!"** While everyone had been talking Mason took the opportunity and went up and punched Gray in the face, knocking him from atop his Ice Mountain. "Somebody catch him!" Mason called down and Happy flew down and caught Gray before he could hit the ground and Mason used the Ice as a springboard and leapt onto the back of the Dragonoid.

"What do you think you're doing?!" Erza called out as the Dragonoid began to take off.

"What does it look like I'm doing?!" Mason cried back as he gripped on tightly to one of the Dragon's spikes. "I'm going Dragon Hunting!" Mason said as the machine rocketed off into the sky, Mason looked down at the ground that was quickly becoming further and further away, he then looked forward and saw the city of Magnolia growing closer. "Crap! I didn't think this through…." Mason muttered as his face turned green.

"Oh no, no…" Daphne muttered as she discovered Mason grabbing onto the side of her artificial dragon. "Looks like we have a stowaway but it won't be an issue for long." The Dragonoid began to spin around in the sky and eventually shook off the weakened Dragon Slayer.

"Woah!" Mason roared as he fell from the back of the Dragon Slayer. 'Crap! I always knew that motion sickness would be the death of me….' Mason thought as he plummeted towards the ground but before he could go splat, Erza, equipped with her Black Wing armor plucked Mason out of the sky and began to carry him towards the Dragonoid.

"So how is the Dragon hunting going?" Erza asked sarcastically as she carried the Dragon Slayer through the air.

"Thank… you…." Mason groaned, his Motion sickness had quickly returned. Mason then fished a jar containing a stange pink powder out of his pocket and quickly took a whiff of the strange dust and immediately made a face. "Ugh! This stuff smells rancid." Mason screwed the lid back on the jar and shoved it in his pocket and his motion sickness quickly faded away. "But it works…"

"So you're ready to go?" Erza asked as she hovered above the mechanical monster.

"Yep!" Mason said with a smile. "Let me go!" Erza did just that and Mason began to fall towards the Dragonoid but just before impact his hands began to glow and he balled them up over his head. " **PHANTOM DRAGON HAMMER!"** Mason smashed both fists down into the Dragonoids back and its scaly armor cracked.

"OWW!" The Dragonoid roared in Natsu's voice. "Hey man! That hurt!"

"Oh sorry Natsu, you just gotta hang in there a little longer. I knew my Dragon Slayer Magic could hurt this thing so now I just gotta keep going till it breaks!" Mason declared as he lifted two glowing arms into the air but before he could attack a large muscular tail smacked into the Dragon Slayer's chest. "AAAAHHH!" Mason flew back but quickly caught himself before falling off the edge. "More Lizard Men?"

"Yes! Yes! Yes!" Daphne called back from her cockpit. "I can't let you destroy my Dragonoid just because you call yourself a Dragon slayer! So my Lizard Men are here to keep you company." Just the another lizard man appeared in front of Mason, making it a two versus one fight.

One of the Lizards lunged at Mason, its arm glowing purple with Magic power but Mason grabbed it by the wrist and tore its hand off with its teeth. He then tossed the disarmed Lizard man at its doppelganger, knocking both off the side of the Dragonoid. "I guess you didn't do your research on Dragon Slayers that well, you can't hurt me with my own magic!"

"Good to know!" SNAP! With a snap of Daphne's fingers two more Lizard Men appeared out of nowhere, these two were equipped with glowing golden fists. "I got this data from that celestial spirit friend of yours, how do you like light magic!" WHAAMMM! One of the new lizardmen punched Mason in the stomach.

"GAAAHHH!" Mason spit up a mouthful of saliva. 'Crap!' The Dragon Slayer thought to himself. 'I can't phase through light attacks!' MUNCH! "AAAHHGGG!" Mason cried out as the other lizard bit down on his arm to hold the Dragon Slayer in place while its partner began to wail on him. WHAM! WHAM! WHAM! WHAM! "OOF! UGH! GAAHHAAHH!"

"Now to deal with that ugly hole you put in my precious Dragonoid! I'm gonna need to borrow some of your power, Salamander!" Daphne smiled maliciously as she pressed one of the buttons on her control console.

"AAAAHHHAAAAGGG!" Natsu cried out in pain as the Dragonoid began to repair itself, clearing robbing Natsu of his Magic power to do so.

"AAHHHGG! NATSU!" Mason managed to cry out for his guild mate but being trapped, he was unable to do anything of substance until SHWING! SLINCK! In two slashes of her Massive dark blade, Erza managed to cut the two Lizardmen in half and free her friend. Mason looked down at his arm and saw that it had been rendered bloody and torn by the Lizards teeth. "What took you so long?" He groaned.

"How's your arm?" Erza asked as five more lizardmen appeared in front of her, each of whom carried a different one of her magic weapons.

"It's been better but it's nothing a hospital or Wendy can't fix but I think we're gonna have to manage without it for the time being." Mason said as he stared down the odds before him. "So… What's your plan?"

"I'll hold off the Lizards, you need to find a way to get Natsu out of this thing if you can't use your arm to break in, use your brain and phase in." Erza suggested and Mason immediately felt embarrassed that he hadn't thought of that in the first place.

"Yeah ok… Good luck." Mason knelt down onto the Dragon's back and prepared to go in. "Get ready cause here I come Natsu!" Mason declared before diving head first into the Dragon's back but was met by a powerful ZAP! "AAAHH!" Mason roared as he reeled back. "What the hell! Why can't I phase through this thing!"

"No, no, no. You didn't honestly think I'd let it be that easy did you? I prepared for all manner of intangibility and phasing spells with that powerful force field you just became acquainted with. You'll have to try harder than that." Daphne taunted.

"Try harder huh?!" Mason roared before his good fist combusted with Magic power. " **PHANTOM DRIVE!"** Mason's body surged with magic power and the energy around his fist tripled in size. "How's this for trying harder!" SMASH! Mason punched a crater in the Dragonoid's back but was met with an eruption of flames.

"RRAAAHHHHHH!" Natsu shouted from within the Dragonoid. "I WON'T LIE DOWN AND TAKE THIS!"

"Oh! I see.." Daphne marveled as she got to work on her control panel. "So you think by turning up the power to eleven you'll short circuit my creation but jokes on you Dragon boy, I'll take that extra power and use it to fix the whole your rude friend made in Dragonoid!" With a push of a button the whole in the Dragonoid's back began to close.

"Oh no…" Mason muttered and looked ahead to see that the Dragonoid had just entered Magnolia. "Grrrr! It's not over yet!" Mason got back on his feet and blasted away one of the Lizardmen that had been attacking Erza. "Sorry Natsu! WIthout my other arm I won't be able to bust my way through and get you outta there! I need you to get yourself out!"

"He's right Natsu!" Erza cried out as she fought off a swordsmen lizard. "You can't give up now! We need you to keep fighting! WOAH!" When the Dragonoid began to land, both Erza and Mason were knocked off the beasts' backs.

CRASH! Mason, unable to make use of his hand was thrown off harder than Erza and landed further away. "AAGGHH! Everything hurts… On the brightside my arm doesn't feel so bad anymore by comparison. Ooooff!" Mason's voice was muffled as a large black cloak was thrown on top of him.

"Oh boohoo! My arm hurts." Cana, now wearing clothes of her own, taunted as she helped Mason back to his feet. "Aren't you supposed to be the Dragon Slayer, isn't this your job or something?"

"Yeah well it turns out I'm right handed." Mason joked as he concentrated magic power into his cloak and created a cast for his arm. "So writing, Dragon fight… Everything is gonna be harder for a little while."

The newly bandaged Mason and Cana made their way over to Erza, Lucy and the rest of the wizards assigned to deal with the Dragonoid. "What do you think you're doing here! You should be in the medical bay! The master ordered US to destroy this thing, not YOU.." Erza who had taken command called down to the injured Dragon Slayer.

"I don't think so.." Mason grunted. "My Dragon Slayer magic is the only thing that can hurt that even if I am down an arm and she can just put herself back together again, as long as Gajeel's nowhere to be seen then I'm still the only shot we have at destroying this thing!" Mason declared, unintentionally hurting Wendy's feelings.

"I wouldn't say our only shot…" Gray muttered as he slowly approached the group, drawing Malice in his direction. "Look I get that I messed up and y'all don't trust me but I can explain. Please let me help make things right?"

"Ok…" Erza said with her arms crossed. "Explain…"

* * *

(One explanation later)

"So Natsu basically just forgot about an entire city he promised to rescue?" Mason asked, his eyebrow raised in speculation. "I understand being forgetful but that's just not cool."

"I mean how could he forget something that important?" Lucy asked as he buried her face in her hand.

"That idiot never learns." Erza commented with a disappointed shake of her head.

"I knew my darling Gray would never turn his back on the guild!" Juvia cried out with joy.

"This is the only way I thought I could make things right." Gray said with his head lowered in shame. "It's my fault but now we gotta get that idiot out of there. We gotta beat Daphne

and her monster."

"I don't think so! No one's going anywhere!" Daphne declared as dozens of Magic circles appeared all over town. "Yes! Yes! Lizardmen 3.1!" An army of lizard men leapt from the Magic circles.

"There's someone hurt down there!" Wendy declared and a group of wizards ran off to rescue the injured citizen while the rest battled the Lizardmen.

BAM! BAM! BAM! Mason blasted away Lizardman after Lizardman but yet there were still more. "Crap! These things are easier to beat than those other ones but there's so many of them I'm starting to run low on magic power…" Mason growled before turning to the other wizards for help. "Levy! Snack time!"

"Right!" The blue haired wizard wrote out the word ghost in the air and a phantom appeared from nowhere. "Eat up!"

Mason slurped down the ghost and felt his body refuel on magic power, at the same time he watched Erza in her Heaven's Wheel Armor fly towards the Dragonoid. "Crap what's she thinking? She'll never be able to take down that monster on her own." Mason stared down the waves of Lizardmen between him and the Dragonoid and gritted his teeth. "Head's down everyone!" Mason warned his guild mates as he lifted an arm into the air and a large magic circle appeared over his head. " **DRAGON SLAYER SECRET ART! CURSED SOUL! HELL'S RAIN!"** Mason created a massive ball of magic power that he blasted into the air before it broke up and hundreds of energy blasts rained down on the Army of Lizardmen.

"GAAAHHH!" Mason let out an exhausted groan as he dropped down to his knees. "That's it I'm out of juice…" Just then the Magic circles reappeared and hundreds more lizardmen appeared around Magnolia. "Crap…." Mason muttered but just when things seemed to be at their most dire, the air turned cold.

Water began to shoot up into the sky all around the city and as it fell down it froze into icicles that skewered all the Lizard men in town. "Ice and water?" Mason marveled at the magic power that was on display and a smile formed on the Dragon Slayer's mouth. "Way to steal my thunder guys."

"Don't worry, we saw you get a few of them." Cana said as she pulled Mason up by his uninjured arm.

Levy ran over to her teammates and quickly created another ghost for Mason to munch on. "Still hungry?" The short girl asked.

Mason eagerly slurped up more magic power but his attention soon fell back on the Dragonoid as Natsu began to rampage and spew utter nonsense. "This is bad.. He really is dying in there!"

"C'mon man!" Gray called out from some random building top. "I should've known you were full of hot air!" Gray began to taunt the mechanical beast. "We're all getting tired of this lame back and forth. It's not funny, it's just annoying. Time to man up!"

"Hey shut up!" Natsu called back.

"What is he doing?" Mason asked as he looked back confused by Gray's strategy.

"Fairy Tail wizards don't break promises! You're making our whole guild look bad!" The Ice wizard continued. "Show them what we're all about and destroy that thing!"

"It's too late now Gray Fullbuster!" Daphne declared with a confident laugh. "You're friend is almost completely absorbed."

"You really disappointed me Natsu!" Happy yelled back as well. "You're supposed to be the guy who wrecks anything that gets in his way! Now you're just gonna let this thing beat you!"

"C'mon Natsu! Give us a hand here!" Lucy cried out. "The whole guild needs you and you're just gonna lie down and take this!"

"Hey! That one was personal Lucy!" The dragonoid called back with Natsu's voice as it began to stomp around.

'Now I get it!' Mason thought with a smirk. "C'mon jerk! You're supposed to be a Dragon Slayer right? This thing's are not even a real Dragon and it already kicked your ass! I gave up an arm trying to get you outta there but if I had known you were just gonna lay down and let yourself get absorbed then I wouldn't have even bothered!"

"There right, you know!" Erza followed up. "You got caught off guard at first but there's no excuse for how far you've fallen! It's just weakness!"

"SAY WHAT?!" Natsu shrieked furiously.

"You want us to destroy you along with the Dragonoid? That's the ultimate sign of a weak heart!" Erza explained. "If you truly believe that then it's time for me to put you out of your misery. There's no place in Fairy Tail for one who has no value for their own life."

"WHAT DID YOU SAY?!" Natsu roared as the Dragonoid began to spew massive amounts of fire from its jaw.

"Yes! Yes! Yes! There's so much more power than I expected." Daphne exclaimed happily.

"Haha! Look at that!" The Dragonoid turned back to Erza, Natsu's smugness had somehow been transferred to the Dragon's face. "I bet you're scared of me now Erza!"

"YOU THINK SO HUH?!" Erza said as she transformed into her Black Wing Armor and summoned her massive club like sword and whacked the Dragonoid in its large Lacrima like core.

"Scary…" The Dragonoid cried out.

"Look at this mess.." A familiar voice growled out as Gajeel entered the fray. "I figured something like this would happen and I tried to warn that idiot but looks like things were gonna go to crap anyway." Gajeel then leapt at the Massive mechanical Dragon. "But thats no reason to be such a nuisance! **DRAGON SLAYER SACRED ART! KARMA DEMON! IRON SPIRAL!** " Gajeel's leg transformed into a giant metal drill and he immediately broke through the massive ruby lacrima and freed Natsu.

"Gajeel?…" The Fire Dragon Slayer muttered. "You...saved me?"

"Damnit, looks like I missed. I thought I could skewer you and this Dragon thing all together but My aim was off. Listen up salamander this chick used you to run the Dragon's reputation through the mud and now you need to pay her back." Gajeel said as he stood up on top of the shattered lacrima. "HEY! WE NEED SOME FIRE UP HERE!"

"You got it! **OPEN GATE OF THE ARCHER!** **SAGITTARIUS!** **!** " Using her celestial magic Lucy brought forth a spirit wearing a horse costume and Erza, Cana, Levy, Bisca and Alzack combined their strongest flame spells together and using Sagittarius' arrow they transported the magic buffet directly to Natsu who didn't waste time digging in.

Mason couldn't here exactly what Natsu had said but he could piece it together as he watched a massive pillar of flames erupt from the head of the Dragonoid and he saw his fellow guild mates cheer out in victory and it made the Phantom Dragon Slayer smile. "What a guild…"

* * *

(End)

Well that was a fun little break, next chapter we'll be headed back to the canon where we explore one of my favorite arcs in Edolas.


	29. Chapter 29

Chapter 28

"You can't eat it like that…" Mason groaned as he watched Gajeel lift a crab leg up and into his mouth.

CRUNCH! Gajeel bit down on his meal shell and all. "Sure I can. I like my food to have a bit of crunch to it." The Iron Dragon Slayer said as he lifted the Crabs body towards his mouth.

"I changed my mind, I don't wanna watch anymore…" Mason swiveled around on his bar stool so he wouldn't have to watch Gajeel eat any longer but the sound of his comrade's CRUNCH! MUNCH! CRUNCH! Sent chills down his spine but there was soon another sound to take his mind off of it.

DING! DONG! DING! DONG! A loud bell began to ring through the guild hall and all across magnolia. "Huh? The bells actually work here?"

"Yep!" Mirajane chirped up as she polished a glass mug. "But it only rings for two reasons and it's not christmas yet so that can only mean one thing."

"HAHA! Old Gildarts is coming home!" Natsu cried out as he leapt into the air.

"Gildarts?" Mason muttered as Gajeel stuffed the rest of his crab into his mouth. "What's a Gildarts?..."

"Gildarts is the strongest wizard in the whole guild!" Levy said as she jumped out from behind the two Dragon Slayers, almost scaring the lunch out of Gajeel's mouth. "He's never around though, he's always out on these crazy long jobs. He just got done with a quest that was supposed to last a hundred years."

"A hundred years? And how long was he gone?" Mason couldn't help but find intrigue in this mysterious new wizard.

"I don't really know? Not any longer than a few years though." Levy said as she thought back on the subject.

"So it only took a couple of years for this guy to tackle a hundred year job? Now I understand why Natsu is so pumped to see this guy, now I'm kinda getting excited to meet him." Mason said as a grin of anticipation formed across his face and he didn't notice Cana approaching from behind him. SMACK!

The brunette wizard smacked Mason hard on the back. "Hey snowflake you ready to go on a job?" Cana asked as she began to tug at the Dragon Slayer's arm.

"A job?" Mason muttered in confusion as Cana pulled him out of his bar stool. "But the strongest wizard in the whole guild is about to show up."

"Who Gildarts? He's not that great, I'm sure you'll see him later." Cana said as she dragged the Dragon Slayer towards the door. "We're going on a job, no complaining." Cana then shot Mason a look to let him know that she was not going to let up on this.

"But I… Fine, lets go…" Mason eventually relented but not before he had already left the guild hall.

* * *

(a few days later)

"6800...6900...7000…" Mason muttered as he counted out stacks of paper money in his hand as he and Cana walked through the streets of Magnolia. "Hey I thought the reward was supposed to be 20000?"

"Oh it was." Cana said with a hum as she opened up a small flask she hid in her pocket and began to sip.

"You know when two wizards share a job it's usually customary that the reward is split in half…" Mason looked over expectantly at his partner.

"We did split it in half but there was some left over so I decided why not help myself?" Cana said as her attention was drawn to the sky. "Is that normal?" She asked as she pointed up to swirling clouds in the sky.

Mason looked up at the peculiar weather but he soon returned to the topic at hand. "I don't need you changing the subject here? What could you possibly need the money for?"

"What do YOU need the money for?" Cana said as she playfully pushed the Dragon Slayer on the shoulder. "You don't even pay rent, your apartment was prepaid by your soldier buddies. Plus drinking is a more expensive hobby then you'd think, especially since the cheap stuff doesn't do it for me anymore."

"Both fair points I suppose…" Mason rolled his eyes as he was willing to overlook Cana's thievery. "Just out of curiosity, what exactly are you drinking right now?" Cana slowly handed the Dragon Slayer her small flask and he took a sip and his eyes quickly widened. "Ack! Ack! HOLY! WHAT?! What is that?"

"Yeah it's good right?" Cana said as she pulled the flask back to her mouth and downed the rest of its content in one go. "It is a little rough going down but it makes me feel warm inside."

"Warm is right, I think I burned my tongue on just alcohol, I don't know that that's even possible." Mason said as he wiped the residue of whatever beverage he had just sampled. "I don't know how you drink that stuff?"

Cana cracked open another flask of booze and quickly partook in her second helping of booze. "Ya know I could probably show you how if you wanted? There's this fun, little watering hole downtown and we can start your training there in earnest…. Maybe tomorrow night?"

"Training huh? I'm not sure that's a talent I really wanna…" Mason's eyes widened as he did a closer examination of Cana's invitation. "Wait, are you asking me on a….What?" Mason turned to look at his friend but before he could finish he noticed small rocks and dirt began to float up from the ground before WHOOOSSSHHH! A large gust of dark wind rushed through the town and encircled Mason to the point where his comrade was no longer visible. "What's going on?!"

"CANA!" Mason called out as he pushed through the dark swirling winds but he received no answer, at least not one he could hear over the sound of rushing air. "CANA! Are you okay! I'm gonna shoot up a flare!" Mason pointed his head up into the sky and fired a purple energy blast which was quickly consumed by the black air as the wind seemed to be closing in around him. "What the hell is this? It's no wind storm…" Mason muttered before he was swallowed by the mysterious phenomenon.

* * *

(Later)

"Ughhh…" Mason groaned as he lifted his head off of what seemed to be white dust and immediately grabbed the top of his head. "Aghh! What a headache…" Mason stood up and observed his new terrain, the sky was a dark navy and mountains and hills of the strange white dust that surrounded the Dragon slayer also decorated the horizon but before he could fully analyze his new environment he remembered something important. "...Cana!..."

"Cana! CANA! C'mon she couldn't've just disappeared on me…" Mason groaned as he began to search the fields of dust. "Did that freaky storm carry me to this freaky place or am I just dead?" Mason wondered as he bent down and picked up a handful of the odd dust, letting it sift through his fingers. "I mean I'd think I'd know if I was dead right? That's kinda my whole deal." SNIFF! SNIFF! Mason smelled the remnants of dust left on his finger. "Nothing… This day just keeps getting freakier and freakier…." Mason continued his walk through the strange lands until he discovered something else he wasn't expecting to see that day.

"Um.. Sir…" A strange creature with a head shaped like a house and a thin moustache who appeared to be mostly buried underneath the white dust called out to the passing Dragon Slayer. "Would you mind lending a helping hand to an old clock?"

"Uh.. Sure…" Mason muttered hesitantly as he grabbed a hold of the clock man and pulled him up out of the dust. "There you go?..."

"I thank you sir." The large clock said with a polite bow. "Well Miss Lucy I do believe this will be farewell for now." The clock said as he opened the door on his stomach and out fell the Blonde Celestial wizard before he disappeared in a flash of light.

"Hey! Horologium! Where do you think you're going?!" Lucy shrieked as her spirit abandoned her.

"Hey I know you…" Mason muttered as he looked over the Blonde wizard. "You're Natsu's little girl friend right? Layla or something…"

Lucy turned around with an angry scowl on her face. "First of all Natsu's just my friend and second it LUCY! You should know that we were on the Nirvana job together!"

"Really? I don't remember you being there…" Mason said as he scanned the area around him and Lucy. "So do you have any idea where we are, or where the rest of our guild mates are?"

"Awh man…" Lucy groaned as she hunched over. "I was gonna ask you the same question…"

"Our guildmates…" A mysterious voice answered Mason as an unmasked Mystogan emerged from the dusty fog. "...Along with as everyone else in Magnolia at the time has been transformed into a giant lacrima and they're being held in the capital city of Edolas, in a world entirely different from our own…"

"Jellal!" Lucy's first instinct upon seeing this strange man who had at one time been there enemy was to reach for her Gate Keys but she was stopped by Mason.

"It's not Jellal, he's telling the truth." Mason whispered to Lucy before he turned his attention to the blue haired man. "If our friends are in another world then how do we get them back?"

"I will send the two of you through to Edolas and you'll be able to retrieve them but you must hurry, the Kingdom of Edolas means to drain the lacrima of Magic power and if that happens then Fairy Tail along with all of Magnolia will be gone." Mystogan warned as he fished something out of his pockets, a small bottle filled with golden beads. "Here, eat one of these." Mystogan tossed two of the small beads out, one landing in Lucy's mouth and the other in Mason's hands and the Dragon Slayer quickly swallowed it. "Good luck!" Mystogan waved his staff and with a flash of blue light the two Wizards were gone.

"Huh?..." Lucy groaned as she opened her eyes in the new world and immediately took note of the massive floating islands that decorated the sky but she soon realized her current situation, pinned by her shirt and dangling from a large mountain over a massive ravine. "WAAAHHH!" She shrieked.

"Grab my hand!" Mason called out as he reached down from atop the mountain and the Dragon Slayer quickly pulled the blonde wizard up and onto solid ground.

"Thanks…" Lucy said as she dusted herself off. "So? What do we do now? How are we gonna get to the capital."

"Easy…" Mason muttered as he flipped his hood up over his head. "We walk…."

* * *

(Later)

The two walked through the mountain range and into a desert area before they eventually came across a town filled with buildings that appeared to be carved from stone. As soon as the two wizards entered town they were immediately bombarded with strange looks from the townsfolk.

"Ummm… What's with the staring?" Lucy said as she tried to act normally.

"It's your outfit." The cloaked Mason muttered. "It's not exactly discreet, is it?"

"Hey what's that supposed to mean!" Lucy roared back.

"How many of these townspeople do you see dressed head to toe in pink?" Mason pointed out, getting Lucy to quickly feel flustered.

"I'm not dressed head to toe in pink!" Lucy cried back but Mason simply ignored her. "It's not my fault these Edolas people don't understand true fashion! I bet they're all just captivated by my stunning beauty!"

"We're here!" Mason said as he pushed open a large dark door that led into a dark dingy bar.

"A bar? Isn't it a little early to have a drink? I think you've been spending too much time with Cana. MMMFFFF!" Lucy was quieted when Mason placed a hand over her mouth.

"Hey, what's the name of this town?…" Mason asked out loud to the bar.

"Travelers from far away huh? Welcome to the fine city of Louen. Can I get you something to drink?" The bartender asked as he put down a glass mug in front of Mason.

"Ummm…" Mason groaned, not having any Edolas money on but he quickly remedied the situation as one of the bar patrons passed by him and the Dragon Slayer used his telekinesis to swipe said Patron's wallet. Mason opened said wallet to find a couple bills of paper money that he didn't quite recognize but luckily he could count. "Looks like I have enough for one drink."

Mason plopped down on the bar stool as the bartender filled his mug with a frothy brown beverage, Lucy nervously took the seat to his left. "So I was wondering.." Mason struck up a conversation as he lifted his drink to his lips and took a sip before immediately and discretely spitting the bitter beverage back into its mug. "Ahem! Umm… Say a couple of travelers were hoping to reach the capital city, where would we go from here?"

"Oh that's easy." The bartender commented as he polished a new glass mug. "All you have to do is…"

"THERE!" One of the townspeople busted through the front door and pointed towards Mason and Lucy. "There they are! Those are the Fairy Tail wizards! The blonde one! That's Lucy Ashley!"

"Lucy who?!" The celestial mage cried back as nearly a dozen soldiers dressed in blue and silver, wearing silver helmets ran into the bar and surrounded the two Earthland wizards.

"Freeze Fairy Tail!" One of the soldiers declared as all of them pointed their large spear-like weapons towards Lucy and Mason. "You two are under arrest!"

"You're outta luck Fairy Tail!" Another soldier taunted. "I hope you don't have any plans cause the two of you are gonna be rotting in the royal dungeon for a long time!"

"Royal dungeon?" Mason whispered to himself before he began to smirk.

"Hah! As if we'd just surrender!" Lucy said confidently. "Fairy Tail never gives up without a fight!"

"I give up!" Mason declared holding his hands out to be cuffed, much to Lucy's horror and the Dragon Slayer was quickly carried away by the soldiers.

"Don't just leave me here!" Lucy cried out as she waved one of her gate keys in the air. " **OPEN GATE OF THE GOLDEN BULL!"** Soon Mason was forced out of the bar and Lucy had been left behind to fight all the soldiers except the two charged with escorting The Dragon Slayer.

"Hey!" Mason called out to his two captures. "The royal dungeon wouldn't happen to be in the capital would it."

"Of course the dungeon is in the capital. You that Fairy scum!" The soldier said as he whacked Mason in the back of his legs with his spear. "Just keep walking…"

"Hey?" Mason asked again, getting the two guards to groan. "How long do you think it's gonna take to get there?"

"You sure do have a lot stupid questions don't ya!" The guard roared as he whacked Mason again. "Don't worry you'll be locked up tight before sundown, it won't take more than a couple of hours to get there via airship."

"A-Airship!" GULP! Mason swallowed hard as he could already feel his face turn pale.

* * *

(Later on the Airship)

"Ughh…" Mason groaned as he suffered from motion sickness as he rode in handcuffs, surrounded by four Edolas soldiers.

"Seriously!" One of the soldiers exclaimed. "They let Lucy Ashley get away? We had ten men on her!"

"Apparently she summoned some sort of demon…" Another soldier added. "Then a couple more fairy tail members came to her aid."

"Well at least we aren't coming home empty handed." The third soldier added as he gestured to the sickly Mason. "We got this one, that should make the king and the Fairy Hunter happy. Though I don't recognize him from any of the wanted posters. Come to think of it I've never even heard of a white haired Fairy Tail wizard."

"Maybe he's that Ice guy." One of them chipped in.

"Nah, he's not wearing enough clothes…" The other soldier pointed out.

"My name is Mason.." The Dragon Slayer groaned weakly.

"Hey you're not supposed to talk!" One of the soldiers roared as he lifted his baton to strike the disobedient prisoner but Mason, even in his weakened state managed to sit up and catch the weapon.

"Yeah, yeah…" Mason grinned before sitting back down on the airship's bench. "No talking to the prisoners… I used to be a soldier too you know, back in my world that is. I had to follow all the rules back then just like you guys."

"From your world?!" One of the soldiers sat up in excitement. "You're from earthland aren't you! That's the place where the king's Anima took all that magic power from! I read about it in the newspaper this morning."

"You're from earthland huh? Likely story, then how do you explain that Fairy Tail emblem on your shoulder." One of the Grumpier soldiers pointed out. "If you're from earthland then prove it." Mason lifted up his hands to show off his hand cuffs before becoming invisible and leaving a pair of floating handcuffs in the air.

"Woah?! He's not even using a magic item.." The soldiers muttered to themselves before Mason once again made himself visible.

"So that's what natural Magic power looks like?" One of the soldiers muttered. "Sorry for doubting you but the king is gonna be thrilled to meet you but that doesn't explain why you were hanging around that criminal Lucy Ashley or why you have a guild mark stamped on your shoulder."

Mason smiled through his Motion sickness. "Her name is not Lucy Ashley, it's Lucy Heartfilla I think. We're from the Fairy Tail back in earthland and when I get off of this flying pile of junk I'm gonna kick the crap outta you and your stupid king king!" Mason taunted.

"What did you say! How dare you threaten the king!" All four soldiers stood up and readied their weapons. "You'll never get near the king, we're already above the capital and you're about to be locked up for a long time!"

"Haha!" Mason chuckled. "You're all just a load of idiots of aren't ya. You just told me everything I wanted to know. To even things up I'll tell you dumb dumbs something too. That lacrima you took from my world is made off all my friends so I'm gonna sneak into your kings dumb little castle and find out how to turn them back to normal, even if that means kicking the crap outta your dumb little king till he tells me."

"Why would you tell us this?" One of the soldiers thrusted his spear closer to Mason's face. "We could have you executed for talk like that!"

"I told you cause it's not gonna matter." Mason explained with a haunting grin on his face. "You guys wanna see some more magic?"

* * *

(Meanwhile in the Edolas Royal City)

A group of soldiers headed by a familiar looking wizard with messy red hair, carrying a spear watched as a lone Airship began its landing process towards the Royal Dungeons on the outskirts of the sprawling metropolis. "C-Captain Knightwalker." A nervous soldier said as he approached the red haired woman. "We've received confirmation that there is in fact a fairy tail wizard aboard the ship. Should we contact the royal executioner?"

"No need." Knightwalker declared as her grip on her spear tightened. "I will carry out this execution personally. Clipping the wings of these fairies is the only thing that still gives me a sense of joy. I suppose that's why they call me-" KABOOOM! Before the red haired captain could finish the airship above the dungeon erupted in a fiery explosion and began to fall rapidly to the earth a few hundred feet away. "What the?!"

"Captain Knightwalker! We've lost communication with the ship!" One of the soldiers declared.

"Send a squadron out to examine the wreckage!" Knightwalker commanded. "We can't let that Fairy trash escape!"

"Yessir!" A group of soldiers responded in unison before rushing to the crash sight, when they arrived the entire ship was consumed by flames but a single silhouette slowly formed in the fire. "Weapons at the ready!' One of the soldiers called out and the rest aimed there spears towards the silhouette.

"Ugghhh.. Gaahhh.." Out from the flames, limping on one foot was a single remaining soldier with a charred hemet and ripped uniforms. Upon seeing their ally, two soldiers rushed to support their injured comrade.

"What happened." The soldier in command asked as his injured comrade was brought before her.

"The prisoner… There was some sort of magic blast. He wanted to detonate above the capital. He thought he could escape, he threatened the king.." The soldier muttered through his pain.

"The prisoner? Did he escape?" The head soldier asked.

"No…" The injured man groaned. "The blast knocked him out, he's still in there." He added as he weakly pointed over to the crash sight before BOOM! Another flaming blast erupted from the destroyed air ship.

"Take this man to a doctor." The commanding officer said the two men supporting the survivor carried him off.

"Wait!" The injured soldier objected before CLICK! He snapped off the strap of his helmet and removed it, letting a mop of messy white hair fall out onto his head. "I'm fine sir."

"We'll let Byro and the royal doctors give you a look over regardless. Besides I bet Captain Knightwalker is gonna want to have a word with you." The soldier in charge declared. "So you'll be spending the night at the castle, consider yourself lucky."

"Yessir!" Mason looked up with a satisfied grin plastered on his face.

* * *

(end)


End file.
